Waterlogged West gets little respite
Monday November 23 2009
WHEN the Taoiseach visits Co Galway later today he may well think he has been pitched onto the set of the futuristic movie 'Waterworld'.
But there's nothing far-fetched about the disastrous state of towns and villages throughout the flood-ravaged countryside.
All but the Connemara area was under varying amounts of water last night as the rain continued to lash down and stormy winds added to the misery in the West.
Virtually every main route out of Galway to the north, south and east was either impassable or so badly flooded as to make travelling a dangerous and futile exercise.
And there is no hope of a respite with further heavy rain and strong winds expected to continue battering Connacht today and tomorrow.
The emergency services once again joined local authority workers in battling the continuing crisis in the worst hit areas, including Ballinasloe, Claregalway, south Galway and Ennis.
Up to 200 homes and business premises remained abandoned in the centre of Ballinasloe again yesterday, with St Michael's Square and the appropriately named River St particularly badly flooded.
A "boil water" notice has been in place in the town since late last week amid concerns that the flood waters would pollute the public supply. Other water supplies across Co Galway were also being closely monitored.
Ballinasloe has been impassable since the River Suck burst its banks late on Thursday night. The almost-completed M6 between Ballinasloe and Galway has been pressed into action to facilitate a route for motorists travelling between Galway and Dublin.
But gardai and Galway County Council appealed to motorists yesterday to observe the 50kph speed limit after several instances of speeding on the unfinished motorway were reported.
The authorities were advising motorists against undertaking any journeys by road unless absolutely necessary.
Disruption
Mainline rail services between Galway and Dublin were disrupted again yesterday, with bus transfers operating along the M6 to and from Athlone.
The evacuation of families continued over the weekend in Athenry, Claregalway and in a number of locations in south Galway as flood waters poured into their homes.
Forty elderly residents had to be evacuated from a nursing home on the Athlone Road outside Roscommon as the flood waters threatened the property.
- Brian McDonald
Irish Independent
