The community spirit that battled the Christmas floods is inspiring

Most communities in rural Ireland are being denuded of vitally-important services such as post offices, banks, garda stations and small hospitals.

People themselves are being herded into a technologically driven environment which is somewhat sterile and unfriendly. This type of society limits interaction with other human beings which is a vital component of life in rural areas especially.

It is heartening to note during the flooding that a co-operative sense of neighbourliness has not yet been damaged by such changes.