PICTURES: Laois playground closed due to flooding 'until further notice'

A Laois playground has been closed due to flooding, with the river beside now at flood levels.

Mountmellick's playground next to the River Owenass has been closed down by Laois County Council "until further notice".

The notice was issued on Tuesday afternoon, November 11.

While Laois is excluded from a Met Éireann Status Yellow Rain warning, several roads were closed due to flooding earlier in the day.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live took these photos showing the play boat that is now actually surrounded by water. The river has almost breached its banks. 

At that time the river flowed through the playground and into the N80 road beside it. The playground was subsequently closed for over six months because of potential contamination by the river.

However this time council staff on site say that the closure is only a precaution in case the situation deteriorates further. The site is also being utilised for flood prevention equipment.

Flooded play area in Mountmellick park.

The town is awaiting flood defences, following a catastrophic flood eight years ago this month that damaged 90 properties and shut down the N80 road through the town centre.

The plans for the flood defences are currently on view in Mountmellick library, while Compulsory Purchase Orders are underway to buy lands to build them.

Laois County Council staff shutting the playground in Mountmellick. 

The multi million Mountmellick flood relief scheme will comprise a series of walls and embankments along the Owenass, Clontygar, Pound and Garroon rivers, a surface water pumping station, the realignment of a length of the Clontygar, reconstruction of Owenass Bridge at the Four Roads, the provision of a demountable flood gate at Convent Bridge, the provision of eighteen culverts and the removal of vegetation.

The fence between the Owenass River and Mountmellick's playground.

There will be flood defence walls from Mill Bridge to Convent Bridge, and a pumping station in Irishtown. Walls beside the River Owenass will be half a km long and up to 3.8m tall.

Read also: Emergency vehicles respond to road crash between Mountmellick and Portlaoise

A flood wall also extends along the rear of Grove Park, and downstream of Convent Bridge, beside a stream behind Davitt Road, from Owenass Bridge to Mill Bridge. There will be flood defence walls and embankments upstream of Owenass Bridge, which will be rebuilt to let more water pass.

More flood defence embankments are to be installed at Manor Road and Manor Court, and flood defence walls and embankments along the Garroon Stream.