Sinkhole family: Our home is just 100m away... but we’ve decided we are staying put
‘The fear of the unknown is worst’ No idea when they can return home
A MONAGHAN family living just 100metres from a massive sinkhole are refusing to leave their home, saying they will not let it uproot their lives.
Damien Martin and his wife Angela’s home is adjacent to the enormous sinkhole that ripped through a GAA club and community centre after a mine collapsed.
Mining company Gyproc offered the family hotel rooms but the Martins decided not to leave.
The couple – who have lived in the area all their lives and have three children, Sinéad, Alan and Conor – told the Irish Daily Mail they are trying to remain positive, despite the damage.
Mr Martin said: ‘We have decided to remain in the house, despite the sinkhole being less than 100m away. We could have left and went to the hotel but we made the decision, as a family, to stay. I work from home and I have three kids in school, so we didn’t want to be uprooted from our lives.
‘Of course, it’s a worry that the sinkhole came so close to us, but we won’t know what’s exactly happened until the preliminary report comes out. My neighbours up the road are very lucky as the sinkhole came within 20m of their property.
‘It’s a very weird atmosphere around here this week as the roads are so quiet but we are trying to remain positive. We have to get the children out to school as normal but because the buses aren’t running, it means we’re making four trips to the schools a day.
‘It’s a worrying time but we will remain positive, it’s the fear of the unknown that’s the worst,’ Mr Martin said.
One of the families who agreed to be evacuated from their home were woken on Sunday night by a ‘loud bang’ as the mine collapsed, the Mail understands.
That family had a ‘lucky escape’, according to a close family friend. ‘They were asleep in their beds and were awoken by a loud bang in the middle of the night. The father raced outside as he thought someone was trying to break in, or steal the car outside,’ said the family friend.
‘He looked all around the house but couldn’t see anybody, so went back to bed. It wasn’t until workers were up around the GAA grounds that the damage from the subsidence was discovered and the alarm was immediately raised.’
Since the initial subsidence, two new sinkholes have appeared close to the Magheracloone GAA grounds.
Properties close to the site of the collapse are still being examined to see if they are at risk. Residents in close proximity to the sinkhole have been told to move to a local hotel.
Monaghan County Council officials and gardaí have met with representatives of mining firm Gyproc Ireland this week and are accessing the situation daily.
The council said in a statement that a team of geologists have started investigating.
An initial inspection revealed a depression, measuring around 240m across, close to the GAA clubhouse and community buildings. Council chief Eamon O’Sullivan has said he cannot say when the affected families will be able to return to their homes but the restrictions will remain in place until he receives a preliminary report from the mining company.
He added that Gyproc Ireland had clarified that the two new sinkholes are part of the original collapse.
Francis Jones, chairman of Magheracloone GAA Club, said the community is reeling.
He told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning