Circus gets that sinking feeling as racecourse floods
CIRCUS Vegas, which was scheduled to perform in Mallow until Sunday night, was forced to flee on Friday after heavy flooding occurred at Mallow race course.
The circus, along with it 60 staff and their families, as well as numerous animals, had to be evacuated Friday as the Blackwater burst its banks, causing damage to equipment and endangering lives.
JCBs had to be brought in to stage a rescue operation when ponies were caught in the high water while grazing an adjoining field.
The organiser of the event, Jonathan Paolozzi said that workers battled through the night to save much of the valuables, including large trailers equipped with kitchens, bathrooms and living areas before the flood caused serious damage.
Props and equipment were quickly disassembled and moved away from the flooding, which struck the field from three different sides.
Employees were forced to move their families and possessions to safer ground, with some vehicles needing to be towed away, such was the extent of the flooding.
Although there were hopes to dismantle the tent on Saturday, Mr Paolozzi believed that rising winds would make it too dangerous to do so.
“We will have to see. In the meantime we are living on the side of the road with cars going by at 100km/h and we are trying to keep children from running out the door,” he said.
The remaining shows were cancelled and circus organisers moved on to Tralee, where they assessed the damage.
All tickets for the cancelled show were refunded.
Mr. Paolozzi said of the events “It was very sudden. We were lucky to be warned by a groundsman who knew what happens when the river bursts its banks, it was all around us at one stage.”