Ballinhassig locals take flood defence into their own hands after council delays

Residents of Tulligbeg watched contractors put the finishing touches to their own flood defence scheme this morning, where work started on site just last Monday

Repro Free: Ballinhassig cork 18/12/23: XX Eoin English. Devastated by Flood, United by Mud. Residents of Ballinhassig stand together in front of an embankment they were forced to build themselves. Picture: Chani Anderson

Consultants have finally been appointed to design a flood relief scheme to protect eight homes near Cork City where residents marked the completion today of their own flood defences — built and paid for by the community in just over a week.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) and Cork County Council announced on Monday that contracts have been signed with Malachy Walsh and Partners for the first stage in a five-stage process to develop a flood relief scheme to protect the eight residential properties on the banks of the Owenabue river near Ballinhassig village.