WATCH: Limerick residents urgently react after waking up to severe flooding

RESIDENTS in Limerick city woke up to their gardens, fields and even a GAA grounds almost completely submerged, following severe overnight flooding this Saturday. 

There have been numerous reports of flooding in the Coonagh and Ennis Road areas, following a breach of flood defences in the area. 

Though there was torrential rainfall overnight, the severe flooding caught everyone by surprise, forcing residents to urgently stock up on sandbags to build their own defences. 

And many will remain vigilant this Saturday evening, as the highest tide of the year is to arrive in Limerick city at around 8.05pm, with similar tide levels on Sunday evening. 

The damage hasn’t just hit homes; farmers have had to urgently remove cattle from fields; roads have been flooded; and the Na Piarsaigh field has been left almost completely submerged. 

Flooding has severely hit Na Piarsaigh grounds | Picture: Sean Duffy

A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council told the Limerick Leader this Saturday evening that council crews are working in the area.

“It follows a breach of the flood defences embankment. Focus will be on shoring up the breach ahead of the high tide this evening which is around 8pm.”

It is understood that the embankment is not a permanent one, and is under the remit of the Office of Public Works [OPW]. 

Members of the OPW have been responding to the matter since the morning. However, it is understood that the water levels were initially too high to deploy machinery to build on the banks. 

Residents say that the OPW were working on repair works to a sluice gate this Friday, and claim it was “left open” after 4.30pm. 

The Leader has contacted the OPW for a comment. 

Tracey Lyttle, who is anticipating another episode of severe flooding in Lower Coonagh, has been working alongside her husband Trevor, friends and neighbours in stocking up on sandbags to prevent their home from flooding this evening. 

“This happened last night. Probably at 8.30pm last night, we noticed water coming into our garden, and then as the evening went on, it started coming up and up. But then the tide stopped. This morning when we looked out at about 7am, it had gone back down to the wall, but high tide was at 8 o’clock so it actually came further than last night,” she said. 

While no water entered the home, it rose to the step of the back door, she explained. 

The flooding has been so extreme, her and her neighbour’s septic tanks are under water and, at one stage, she couldn’t even see her garden wall. 

“It was just one continual flow of water.”

She has been working with Deputy Willie O’Dea, Senator Kieran O’Donnell and Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon in tackling the problem before it worsens this Saturday evening. 

“Apparently, it was a sluice gate that was being repaired down in the bank by the OPW. They ran into trouble and they left it open. They finished at 4.30pm yesterday evening. Needless to say, they didn’t put anything in to stop the water coming through.

“It was a worry to us last night, we were worried in case it was going to come in. We have timber flowing.”

She said she had difficulty contacting the emergency services on Friday night. 

“Listen, it’s a joke. Last night, we tried ringing all these emergency numbers, but no reply from any of them.”

Deputy O’Dea said that, on initial observation, it appears to be “an error on the part of the OPW”. 

“We have to ascertain exactly what has happened,” he told the Leader. “We have to get to the bottom of this and see that this does not happen again.”

Deputy O’Dea added that the Government now has to step up its activity on the CFRAM (Catchment Flood Risk Assessment & Management) report in Limerick.

Preview photo by Brendan Gleeson