President praises 'meitheal' of flood-hit communities
Tuesday December 22 2009
PRESIDENT Mary McAleese paid a moving personal tribute to the emergency service workers and volunteers who tackled Cork's flood crisis.
The president toured flood-hit parts of Cork city and Bandon -- and admitted she was totally overwhelmed by the neighbourliness and courage that had helped communities to cope with the deluge.
Mrs McAleese was accompanied by her husband, Martin, on her two-day national flood tour.
She witnessed the devastation caused by the worst floods Cork city had seen in 800 years.
She said many communities had displayed their finest hour in terms of how they rallied together.
"Nature gave her worst and human nature, in return, gave of its very best," she said.
"It is on the goodness of human nature that we rely to get us through these awful times.
"It is human nature that will get us through; and the message, here in Cork as well as other parts of Ireland, is that the statutory agencies, the voluntary agencies, the individuals on the streets as well as the communities, they came together in this spontaneous display of 'meitheal'."
Mrs McAleese said such spirit and courage was truly inspiring.
"They (volunteers and emergency workers) knew there was only one way to get through this and that was by pulling together in partnership and community spirit," she added.
The president paid a special visit to the SHARE Brother Jerome Centre in the Mardyke -- one of the premises worst hit by floods when a quay wall collapsed on November 20.
Evacuated
Residents of the Mardyke, Sheares Street and Grattan Street in Cork city bore the brunt of the flooding -- with hundreds having to be evacuated to the safety of higher ground.
Cork's main water station at the Lee Fields was also wrecked by the floods -- and 50,000 people were left without running water for almost 10 days.
Mrs McAleese also congratulated members of the emergency services including Cork fire brigade, gardai, defence forces, sub-aqua clubs as well as local authority workers for their selfless response to the crisis.
She attended a special civic reception in honour of these emergency workers at City Hall yesterday.
Mrs McAleese also pleaded with insurance firms to process flood claims as a Christmas priority.
"Most people, thank God, are now back into their homes but they face an awful lot of work," she said.
Today, the President will travel to the west to meet people affected by floods of the Shannon basin.
- Ralph Riegel
Irish Independent
