‘We’ve supplied about 50,000 sandbags over the past four days’
IT is an ill wind that blows nobody some good.
While traders and householders from Crossmolina to Bandon and from Athlone to Killarney were counting the cost of Storm Desmond’s multimillion-euro flood damage, one Tipperary businessman was enjoying his best Christmas trade for years.
Martin Tierney of Sacks.ie has sold the equivalent of 10 months of sandbag production in the space of just four days – and he admitted that sales still haven’t reached their peak.
The Tipperary businessman is now operating to maximum capacity and could supply 200,000 sandbags in the space of 10 days.
With his staff of three, the company is delivering sandbags throughout the midlands, west and south-west in order to cope with the flood threat.
“We normally supply in the region of maybe 4,000 to 6,000 sandbags (a month),” Mr Tierney explained.
“But we’ve supplied about 50,000 sandbags over the past four days. I suspect we will probably supply another 50,000 before the week is out what with the flood threat.
“The demand was absolutely unreal back in 2009 when there were very bad floods, particularly around the Shannon and in Cork. But the demand has been incredible this week too.”
The Newport businessman also offered advice to those who are forced to rely on sandbags for protection against water.
“The trick is to use some plastic when you are laying out the sandbags,” he said.
“Place a sheet of plastic under the sandbags and when you’ve built up the wall or dam, wrap the plastic sheet up over the back of the sandbags.
“It will give you double the protection from the water.”