INCHAREA WELCOMES NEW FLOOD PROTECTION
INCHEREA resident Vera O’Sullivan has said locals in the Incherea- Glenbeigh are are delighted at the announcement that the Office of Public Works (OPW) has approved funding of over €107,000 for a local flood defence project.
Ms O’Sullivan said that damage to a foreshore embankment has left locals terrified of a repeat of the winter of 2002, when homes were destroyed in a major flood.
Locals have spent more than €100,000 on maintenance of the foreshore embankment, which Ms O’Sullivan said “had to be done to protect our homes.”
“It’s the most fabulous place to live for most of the year, with the incredible scenery and wildlife” she said. “But we’ve lived in fear every winter. If you get a combination of storms, low pressure, and high tides, it can be a frightening experience.
“The worst memories are from 2002, but we had another terrifying year in 2014. The water didn’t come into our homes, but we had sandbags out and we were up all night, worrying that our homes would fall victim to the conditions. All we could do was pray that we’d be alright”
The works will begin between summer and autumn and will take around four weeks to complete. The project will not involve maintenance of the foreshore embankment, but the construction of a new 360-metre-long flood-defence wall to the west of the most northerly properties. It will have an average height of 1.2 metres, and additional drainage works and a temporary access route is also required.
Ms O’Sullivan said that she hopes the announcement by the OPW will lead to the end of local fears.
“Around 10 homes have been vulnerable to flooding, and I must thank everyone who’s helped us over the years, including Brendan Griffin TD and Councillor Michael Cahill who have represented us tirelessly at national and local level.
“Kerry County Council (KCC) CEO Moira Murrell has shown us great compassion throughout our camaign, as have Gerry Riordan and Damien Ginty. We hope this is the start of something much better for the residents here.