Storm Frank: Reports from across Ireland

Midlands

Rising water levels continued to test flood defences along the river Shannon in Athlone, Co Westmeath, on Tuesday night.

Westmeath County Council director of services Barry Kehoe said he believed the water level would rise by 8cm, reaching just 7cm below peak 2009 flood levels by Saturday.

“I am optimistic that Athlone will hold out,” said Mr Kehoe.

“I think we will hold out until Saturday depending on the intensity of the rain that falls over the next 24 hours,” he said.

Defences in Athlone are being reinforced and pumping is ongoing. The council is providing accommodation and transport where required.

Also in Westmeath, the old Longford Road, Mullingar, at Cullion Fish Farm was impassable due to flooding and was expected to remain closed overnight.

In Longford, the Ardagh Road was closed due to flooding at Black Bridge.

The western half of Co Laois, including areas such as Ballyfin, Rathdowney, Mountrath and Mountmellick, has been hit by flooding.

Laois Civil Defence had assisted Laois County Fire and Rescue Services in sandbagging houses in Mountmellick on Monday night.

Fergal Conroy of Laois Civil Defence said it had been monitoring vulnerable areas as both river levels and the water table remained very high.

Offaly County Council said it believed water levels on the Shannon could exceed the peak levels reached at the height of the flooding two weeks ago.

Northwest

Householders and motorists continued to be on high alert in the northwest on Tuesday night, with county council crews in Leitrim and Sligo on standby as heavy rain and strong winds continued to lash the country.

In Carrick-on-Shannon, where some car parks have been partially submerged for a number of weeks, the mood was upbeat, despite concerns about Storm Frank.

“The Shannon has risen by 60mm in the last 24 hours but is still 400mm below what it was on December 13th,” said Cllr John McCartin, cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council.

He said water levels on Lough Allen were about 260mm below the peak experienced two weeks ago.

In parts of Co Sligo which were hit hard during storms Desmond and Eva, some householders spent Tuesday taking precautions such as laying sandbags.

Tom Brennan, senior engineer with Sligo County Council, said his biggest concern was that persistent rain would lead to renewed flooding in vulnerable areas.

The N16, the main Sligo/Enniskillen road, was blocked on Tuesday evening by a tree four miles outside Sligo town.

In Co Roscommon, the Tulsk to Castlerea road was closed at Castleplunkett and at Tarmon’s football pitch.

In Co Leitrim, Carrick-on-Shannon Cineplex, which had been forced to close in early December due to flooding in the adjoining carpark, has been open since Christmas week.

“We built a pedestrian walkway using heavy stones. It is not ideal but it was important to reopen before Christmas,” said owner Liam Farrell.

Asked about the outlook for the coming days, he said: “I am always optimistic.”

Kerry

In the teeth of Storm Frank, 20 members of the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team were forced to tackle Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain, in the afternoon to bring down an injured climber.

It is believed the 31-year-old man from Kerry had broken a leg. He was brought down in late afternoon and transferred to Kerry General Hospital.

Despite the poor forecast, several people set out to hillwalk on both Mangerton mountain and MacGillycuddy’s Reeks on Tuesday, gardaí said.

Early in the afternoon, the worst of the wind and flooding struck the Killarney region and the south of the county as expected.

A number of flights at Kerry Airport were delayed or cancelled.

The main Ring of Kerry road near Killorglin was partially blocked late in the afternoon due to a fallen tree.

A telephone pole came down on the main Killarney to Killorglin road and the area near Beaufort Bridge was also flooded.

Crews were also tackling severe flooding on the N22 Killarney to Tralee Road.