Here Comes The Flood

The one…

t’s a spot that’s long been prone to flooding, and right now, Greystones Fire Brigade are trying to stem the tide.

Broaching the Breaches breach

Thanks to that non-stop rain overnight, the cottages along Kilcoole’s Sea Road are once again in danger of being flooded.

The small parallel river has burst its banks, and that means pumping the overflow back onto Kilcoole beach and on to the sea.

That Irish Rail recently walked away from maintaining the breaches after one too many bouts of vandalism to their equipment, the risk of flooding has been a major concern for everyone along Kilcoole’s seafront.

The Meakins

Tom Fortune highlighted the problem back in October 2020 whilst just last week, the Office of Public Works stated that a study of the breaches would be undertaken.

“With high tides, the east winds and the heavy rainfall, the rivers have reversed their course,” says Sea Road resident Paddy Meakin. “They’re now flowing against their natural course.”

Stephen Donnelly

For Tom Fortune, “this is exactly the kind of situation we have been warning Irish Rail and others about. It’s incredible that they would let it get to a point where people’s homes are now at risk…”

Another local resident, Stephen Donnelly (the smiley St David’s teacher, not the other one), is also at the scene, and believes today should be a wake-up call. “This isn’t about dog poo or double-parking,” he says.

Major flooding JAN90

“This is about people’s homes. Something has to be done, and it needs to be done now.”

With more rain, wind and high tides expected over the next 24 hours – Met Éireann putting midnight on Sunday as the cut-off point – Paddy Meakin has the last word.

“Simply put,” he says, “people along Kilcoole’s seafront are under threat. And everyone saw this coming…”