Dublin City Council engineers are assessing whether works can be carried out at the back of a house which has partially collapsed into the river Camac in Inchicore, Dublin.
Ellen Blehein (32) and her husband Robert (30) said they have vacated their home after they were instructed to do so by the local authority this week.
Ms Blehein said they were told to leave as it “may not be safe to be in the house as something could shift” while the council are conducting their assessment on Friday and Saturday. She said that one of her neighbours was also instructed to vacate their property.
Ms Blehein and her husband were out last weekend when a neighbour called to tell them that the entire back garden wall of their house on Tyrconnell Street had collapsed into the river on to which their property backs out.
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The couple, originally from West Dublin and recently married, bought the house in Dublin 8 in early 2021. The couple said the river wall, which adjoined their back wall, fell into the river along with their small patio and wastewater pipes.
They now believe their conservatory is also about to collapse into the river.
The council said on Friday that the “rear property wall” had collapsed “leaving debris” in the river Camac.
“Dublin City Council are in ongoing contact with an engineer working for the homeowners,” said a council spokeswoman.
“Council engineers are assessing this location to establish if works can be carried out to reduce any potential flood risk. Any remedial works that may be carried out by the council in the interest of public safety will be carried in consultation with the relevant property owners and with their consent where appropriate.”
The local authority said earlier this week that they were seeking to establish ownership of the collapsed wall but their understanding was “that this is not in the ownership of Dublin City Council”.
The council did not say on Friday whether ownership of the wall had yet been determined.
Ms Blehein said that she was “happy to see” council workers in the river on Friday and that “something was happening”.
She said an engineer she had contacted is due to visit the site later next week to see whether he could take on the project while was expecting an update from the council on Monday.
Ms Blehein said the conservatory was “still hanging on, but continuing to tilt ... the cracks in floor are definitely getting bigger”.
She said they had received quotations of between €100,000 to €250,000 to rebuild the back of their house, but are unsure whether an extension along with the conservatory would have to be rebuilt.
Ms Blehein said they had set up a GoFundMe page to help with the costs and to assure construction and engineering companies that they would be able to pay for the works.
The couple have been staying with family members over recent days and are unsure what they will do “in the long term”.
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