The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
No flood works for another three years
IT will be three years – and possibly up to five years – before flood defences will be built in Kenmare as protection works promised for the flood-prone town have not yet even reached design stage.
Local businesses are counting the cost of devastating floods for the third time in 12 years and although flood defences had been promised over a decade ago to counter high waters on the River Finnihy, there has been no progress made.
News that Kenmare town centre will be left once again to the elements has been described as “absolutely ridiculous” by business owners and local representatives.
The latest damage follows severe flooding in 2008 and 2015. In the intervening years the OPW moved to include Kenmare in its Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management study (CFRAM) given its suitability for a flood relief scheme, and it approved funding of €5.4m for the works.
The scheme includes the removal of the existing sewer pipe under the Finnihy Bridge – identified as one of the potential causes of flooding in the town – along with the construction of flood defence walls in a number of locations in Kenmare, including along the riverbank in The Square and at the footbridge on Bridge Street.
Kerry County Council has been appointed to oversee the project in conjunction with the OPW and is currently working on the development of the project brief. However, it could be up to five years before these works are completed to protect the town.
Council officials said the project brief will be published in November and will allow the local authority appoint a consultant to the project in the first quarter of 2021. Following this, it will be up to 24 months before a design of the scheme will be finalised before the project can proceed to construction which could take another two years. “Three to five years is simply too long, there could be another flood this year or next year,” said Maurice Moroney of The Horseshoe Restaurant.
Local politicians, including Cllr Johnny Healy-Rae, also expressed anger at the delay.
“It is absolutely ridiculous. We are 12 years waiting. We were diverted to a CFRAM study which took years and now we have to wait for a design and construction. We have had minister after minister and nothing has been done.”
Minister for State for the OPW, Patrick Donovan, met with local businesses on Friday last to assess the damage caused. KCC Senior Engineer Padraic Teahan said that the scheme was the “only solution” and that while they would like the “time-line to be faster” at least there is a scheme promised.
WHEN Finbarr Quill got a call at 2am on Thursday morning to say the town of Kenmare was flooded again his heart sank as he realised he faced yet more significant damage.
It could have been a lot worse except for that phone call but that didn’t stop his entire business being flooded in the early hours of Thursday morning following a flash flood that wrecked havoc in the town.
“It is a disaster,” said Finbarr. “If the council could come down here and see the damage. Our stock is damaged so too are our shop fittings.
“We are 30 years getting this shop together and we have been flooded three times.”
Next door, Maurice Moroney, who is leasing the Horseshoe Bar and Restaurant, is also left counting the damage as water poured in through his doors early on Thursday morning.
“When I got the call I rushed down and we were knee-deep in water trying to put sand-bags in to stop it,” he said.
Maurice was forced to shut up the restaurant for a number of hours on Thursday to clean, dry and sanitise the restaurant. Local business Steam Clean were a huge help and, thankfully, The Horseshoe was open again on Thursday evening. Quills reopened on Friday morning.
“We worked through the night with great people including Jackie Horgan, Connie Cremin and Donie Casey and I want to thank them for getting us open.”
It was a quick turnaround – this time – but both Finbarr, Maurice, and other businesses and home-owners are left worrying and waiting for another flood that could cause even more damage.
“It is in your head all the time, ‘what if this happens again?,” questioned Maurice.
The flood also caused damage in some homes in Scarteen Park and Finnihy Banks in Kenmare with homes also under threat at Cill Mhuire. Nearby, Sneem village was also affected and a family of seven is currently living in The Sneem Hotel after their home was destroyed by the flood, which also led to road closures on the Main Ring of Kerry road.
An appeal has been made by local Parish Priest Fr Liam O’Brien to help the family find a house in the village.