County Limerick man calls on Council to help with flooded garden

A COUNTY Limerick man has called on the council to take action before his house is flooded.

Joe O’Brien sent in these photos of flood waters surrounding his house in Gortgarralt, Fedamore. It looks like a moat around his residence caused by the heavy rains associated with Storm Franklin.

“It was the worst we ever had. It was over two and a half feet deep. It came right up to the door. We were thinking of even getting out of the house. We thought it would actually come in,” said Joe, who has been living there for about 20 years.

Up to three years ago he says they had no issues. Joe says the flooding is caused by a drainage stream bordering the house. 

“It’s blocked there. It happens after heavy rain. The council know about it because we have told them but every time we seem to have an engineer over here we never hear back. Then when we go back to them we hear, 'Oh he has moved on’,” said Joe, who lives with wife Mary and two daughters, Ciara and Aoife 

“We rang the council on the Sunday asking for sandbags and they ignored us completely,” he added.

Limerick City and County Council hadn’t responded to a query from the Leader at the time of going to press.

“We’ve been haunted for the last three years with this. It cost me €1,000 last year with the clean up of this. It was after very heavy rain that time too. |It happens about three times a year,” said Joe, who is concerned about his house being permanently damaged.

"You'd be worried about that down the line - if the water gets into the foundations it would crack the foundations. We have a few cracks in the walls since last year and we reckon it's that."

Joe said it is a “constant worry” and  was up all night of Storm Franklin looking out the window watching the water rise and if it would come in.

Plus, they couldn’t even have a shower or flush the toilet.

"We've to go somewhere else for a shower and wash clothes. The sewerage tank is full as well because the flooding is all in the back as well. We can't use toilets or anything. Everything is full of water.

"It’s not acceptable in this day and age - we are paying property tax. You'd just be tired of it,” said Joe, who is calling on the council to carry out works before his house is flooded.