The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Major landslide at Clydagh Valley a repeat of history
July 1995
HISTORY repeated itself in the Clydagh Valley in Upper Glenflesk when torrential rainfall, which fell during the fine spell at the end of June caused a major landslide.
Several tons of rubble fell at the rear ofthe now derelict Knocknabro NS on Friday, June 30 and more gravel and stones blocked a section of road preventing some residents from leaving their homes by car.
The landfall was similar to another landfall in, the vicinity of the National School back in August 1966.
And some 135 years before that again on August 6 1831, a cloudburst in almost exactly the same area caused a flood which drowned eight people in the Clydagh Valley.
NS Teacher Denis O’SuIlivan told
that the thunderstorm on June 30 seemed to be concentrated in the area between Clydagh and Mullaghanish.
“The amazing thing was that there was no rain in Killarney and it was very light in Glenflesk,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
“Ballyvourney had a very minor fall of water while it was very heavy up near Clydagh.”
He said the heavy rainfall and hailstones lasted for two and a half to three hours on that Friday evening causing a huge and immediate flood in the mountain tributaries of the Clydagh River.
Several tons of stuff were washed onto the by-road near Knocknabro National School and behind the school,” Mr O’SuIlivan said.
“The Council staff made it passable on Saturday but vehicles were trapped inside on Friday night. The mountain road linking Shrone on the other side is really torn up now,” he continued.
He said that the water had brought gravel and, stones down the mountain and it was knocking fences along the way. A lot of the gravel had been deposited on grazing land.
“The interesting thing about all of this is that practically the same thing happened in August, 1968,” he said.
“When we came back to school in September, we spent the first week mopping up mud and silt from the floors,”
A newspaper report on the damage caused that August also recalled the 1831 flood and the loss of eight lives.
The report quoted local historians who said that a wall of water had swept down on a house occupied by a Lucey family. Four members of that household were drowned.