STORE SUNK ME OVER PADDLING POOL OFFER
Gran rapped for trying to buy tub during worst drought in 40 years
A GRANNY who queued outside Lidl from early morning to buy one of five paddling pools has demanded compensation after they were sold before the store opened.
And when Geraldine Prior hit out at the retailer she found herself on the end of a backlash for trying to buy the 7,500 litre pool during the worst drought in 40 years.
Callers to RTE’S Liveline blasted the woman from Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, for trying to make the purchase for her five year-old grandson.
Geraldine went to Lidl in Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh, at 7am yesterday – an hour before opening time – to buy the Bestway Steel Pro Swimming Pool which was priced at €119.99.
But by the time Geraldine arrived a queue had formed outside.
She said just five people who turned up before 8am were given tickets to produce and were able to leave and A helicopter takes on water in the Dublin Mountains AIR Corps copters dumped more than 300,000 litres of water on wild fires this week.
They were called to help fire services when the heatwave sparked infernos across Dublin, Wicklow, Limerick, Cork, Tipperary and Offaly.
Using what is known as a “Bambi” bucket, they can pinpoint the worst affected areas and drop 1,200 litres at a time.
As the Defence Forces vowed to continue fighting the blazes, forestry bosses urged the public to return at their convenience. She added: “I just thought the fact somebody could be there at 7am and get a ticket and return home and maybe not return until noon, I just think it’s not on.” The granny avoid lighting a fire of any kind and to report any flames they spot for the professionals to extinguish.
Coillte is fighting fire on all fronts this week as it battles breakouts in the Dublin Mountains and in Kildalkey, Co Meath.
Its biggest task so far has been a mega blaze in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, where a large area has been burned to a cinder after a fire spread into a forest area from open moorland.
And tinder-dry Ireland is set to swelter in another blisteringly hot weekend, with no rain on the claimed other Lidl stores, including one in Cavan, waited until 8am before handing out tickets.
She added that when she queried the process with the manager she just horizon for the next 10 days. Met Eireann’s Jean Byrne said: “It’s going to stay mostly dry for most of next week, with an advisory in operation for drought conditions.
“Today it will be mostly dry with a little hazy sunshine and highest temperatures of 21C to 25C inland, but a little cooler in coastal areas.
“Saturday will again be dry in most areas with good sunshine and mostly light southerly or variable breezes.
“The west and north though will be mostly cloudy on Saturday with a few spots of drizzle, mainly in “shrugged her shoulders”. Asked what she thought of a campaign asking people not to buy the pools, Geraldine said: “I was just getting the pool for one of my grandchildren. I definitely would not use it if there was a water shortage.”
Other customers shared her frustration, with one woman posting: “Pools in Roscommon were sold before the shop opened. Absolute joke. Organised the babysitter to come early only to find out I wasn’t ever in with a chance.”
However, a member of Dublin Fire Brigade who called Liveline said: “That 7,500 litres of water would completely fill the tanks of four fire trucks.”
And Katherine Dunne from Kildare added: “I mean 7,500 litres of water for a paddle pool for children to play in? It’s not acceptable.”
Lidl confirmed a ticketing system had been put in place due to high demand and “for health and safety reasons”. coastal areas. It will be another warm day generally with highs in the mid to high 20s, although not as warm in the south west, west and north west.
“Sunday will be very warm with hazy sunshine but cloudier in the north and north west with a small chance of a few light showers and highest temperatures of 24C to 28C.
“Early indications are that the dry and settled conditions will continue for most of next week.”
And the nationwide hosepipe ban is likely be extended for the rest of the summer. Remnants of a gorse fire seen from the air The scale of the fires is clear for all to see