Bishop Ken Good pays tribute to community spirit following 'heartbreaking' loss and suffering due to flooding

Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry and Raphoe Ken Good has said that it has been 'heartbreaking' to see the effect of flooding on the North West community this week.

On Thursday, Bishop Good visited Christ Church, Buncrana and the Another Chance charity shop and outreach centre in Tullyally, to see how clergy and parishioners were responding to the flood.

He prayed with volunteers who were cleaning up both buildings, and will be visiting volunteers at St Canice’s Church in Eglinton on Friday, to see how the clean-up there is progressing.

The bishop also visited staff from Derry City and Strabane District Council and other agencies who have set up a temporary headquarters at the YMCA in Drumahoe to coordinate the flood response there.

Christ Church, Buncrana was preparing for a wedding dress festival, featuring more than 40 wedding dresses owned by local women. The dresses - some up to 70 years old - had to be removed from the church after floodwater began seeping into the building.

Business people and volunteers from across the community helped to dry out the premises and rebuild the staging areas on which dresses are being displayed. The costumes, which belong to local women and families, were returned to the church on Wednesday evening, and the festival opened on schedule on Thursday morning.

The festival will run until Sunday. On Saturday afternoon, from 3 till 5 p.m., local people are being invited to bring household items to the church hall in Buncrana. These will be distributed to households affected by this week’s flooding.

The Another Chance charity shop and outreach centre in Tullyally lost all of its stock when it was inundated with more than three foot of water on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The shop was opened by the Church of Ireland Parish of Glendermott almost two years ago.

Bishop Good said: "It has been heartbreaking to hear and see the extent of suffering and hardship experienced by those affected by this week’s flooding in the North West.

"The ferocity of Tuesday evening’s thunderstorms was perhaps unprecedented in this region; it was certainly not predicted. I wish to acknowledge the efforts of the response teams – from various agencies – who tried to help people as the waters rose. It is essential, though, that an extensive review is carried out to establish what lessons need to be learned from this week’s event and to ensure that these are addressed.

"A number of Church of Ireland churches were directly affected by the flooding in Faughanvale and Buncrana, and a charity shop and outreach centre in Glendermott Parish was extensively damaged. I recognise how distressing these incidents were for parishioners, but clearly that pales in comparison to the distress of many of our neighbours who were hit much harder: homes were inundated, property destroyed, cars literally washed away. Thankfully no lives were lost and that is something to be grateful for.

"The flood victims – from Buncrana and Burnfoot, to Drumahoe and Eglinton – are uppermost in my thoughts and prayers at this time.

"I do wish to commend local clergy, church volunteers, parishioners and others who responded to the flooding in churches and church buildings. I am proud of what they did and grateful for their efforts. I am touched and encouraged by the love they have shown for their churches.

"If there is one positive to be drawn from the harrowing events of last Tuesday, it is surely the confirmation that community spirit is alive and well in our midst. Long may that continue."