While Fermoy remains on alert due to so much rain being forecast, the people of Rathealy Road, Thomas Street, Frances Street and Brian Boru Square are enjoying their new-found freedom, thanks to the flood barriers doing their job on the northside of town.
Chairman of the Fermoy Flood Relief Group, Liam Clancy this week said: “It’s a new life, it’s unbelievable, and only those people who have ever experienced their home being flooded could fully understand that.”
Liam told The Avondhu on Wednesday, that every year, even if the flood didn’t rise enough to flood their homes, the people in the above mentioned areas had to live with the threat of it. “The threat of a flood was nearly as bad as the event itself. It was most distressing and that might be the case seven or eight times a year. Then when it (the flood) finally hit you, you were left with two or maybe three inches of water over the level of the table in your kitchen or sittingroom – filthy stagnant water. And then, having to drag whatever you could upstairs – thank God, we are free of that now,” he said.
Liam was at pains to give comfort to those who may be fearing the worst or may be affected on the southside of the town where the flood protection work isn’t fully complete.
“I would like to say to those people: put your trust in the flood protection scheme which will be completed in few short months because it does work. You will be experiencing the same sense of relief that we are enjoying at the moment.”
Not wishing to be too complacent about it as we never know what the weather can bring, Liam said he can’t help but share the relief that he and his nighbours have experienced over the last week or more.
“I would like to pay tribute to the Lagan workers and engineers. They are doing tremendous work and we should give them all the support we can over the next few months to get the job completed.”
