Neighbours and council staff save Limerick homes from flooding

UP TO 10 homes in County Limerick were saved from flooding by neighbours and council staff working late into Sunday night.

Around 2,000 sandbags were put in place to stop the swollen river at the back of the houses in Mulcair Drive, Annacotty.

The Mulcair was 71mm higher than the previous highest level in 2015, based on over 60 years of records.

At around 8pm as the river was rising fast, residents got in vans to collect sandbags from the council. Then a truck from the local authority arrived with pallets of sandbags.

“It is as close as it ever came to the houses,” said one of the local residents.

Cllr Joe Pond, who lives in the village, was helping create flood defences. 

“It was scary for a while. It is the first time in my life I have seen the old bridge at Annacotty closed. You can't even see the arches of the old bridge (see picture) - they are covered by water. It was 70mm higher than 2015,” said Cllr Pond.

He commended neighbours for their community spirit. 

“It was absolutely brilliant to see it happening. Everybody helped out everyone else. When one house was done and sandbagged - the owners didn't stop. They went on to the next house and next one.

“You have to give great credit to council staff as well. They went above and beyond the call of duty to keep those houses from flooding.

“The work went on until midnight,” said Cllr Pond, who said the level of the Mulcair has “gone down a good bit” this Monday.

Video courtesy Annacotty Tidy Towns