Clonegal defiant in face of storm damage

THE village of Clonegal in the south-east of Carlow is one of the county’s hidden gems, with tourists flocking to the area in the summer months to enjoy the serenity and rich cultural heritage on offer.

In the aftermath of Storm Chandra, however, the peaceful atmosphere that the village is famous for has been replaced by the hum of generators as residents try to pump the water that flooded this part of the village on Tuesday night, 27 January, out of their properties.

Dan and Ruth Killelea were busy assessing the damage done to their 338-year-old home, which backs onto the banks of the River Derry.

The couple, who are originally from Chicago but moved to Clonegal over ten years ago, were in a surprisingly chipper mood despite the circumstances and said it was the “danger and privilege of living close to the river.” After witnessing how quickly the river can rise during their first winter in the house in 2015, the Killeleas built a wall and flood gate, which managed to limit the flow of water on this occasion, however, water still seeped into the house through the floorboards.

“Before the rain came, we had our neighbours come over and help us get the furniture up off the floor,” explains Dan.

“So, what we’re trying to do now is get the moisture out of the house with a dehumidifier. A friend of ours is coming over later with an industrial-sized dehumidifier, so hopefully that helps,” he added.

The couple are extremely grateful to their neighbours and the wider local community for their help. In particular, Alexander and Clare from Huntington castle, who let them stay in one of the castles gate lodges across the road for the night.

Next door to the Killeleas is Plunkett’s General Stores, where the staff were hard at work bucketing water from the shop floor on Wednesday afternoon when The Nationalist arrived.

The shop floor being covered in a couple of inches of water was not enough of a hindrance for the Plunketts to close for the day, with a sign on the front door telling patrons they were still open for business and to head to the yard out the back to pick up any items.

One passing lorry driver, seemingly unaware of the sign on the door and the predicament the shop was facing, poked his head inside the door and enquired about a pack of Tayto crisps and a can of Fanta.

After a quick dart out the back to fetch the order, the lorry driver was duly served and went on his way up the road, while the Plunketts got back to the matter at hand.

Well over two feet of water entered the premises during the worst of the flooding, however, the damage done “could have been much worse,” according to the shop’s owner Brian Plunkett. However, he said, it was the worst flooding he has seen in over 30 years.

Brian had been monitoring the rivers levels over the last few weeks and had anticipated the shop being flooded as far back as three weeks ago when he first started making preparations.

“About three weeks ago, I started moving things into the shed out the back, which is on higher ground.” Brian managed to get all the expensive equipment, such as fridges and other appliances, into the shed, which could have ended up costing him thousands of euros if they had been water damaged.

When asked if he was worried about any further flooding that may occur over the coming days, Brian had a somewhat indifferent attitude to what mother nature had in store and was just thankful that most of the important items had been salvaged.

“Sure, what can you do? It is just where we are. If we were based up the top of the street, we would have been fine. At least now everything is up on a height and out of the way,” he said.

Brian praised the efforts of Carow Co Council, who were on the ground providing assistance following the flood.

“The council were very good; they sent out paperwork to see what we can look for in terms of compensation or support,” he said.

Cllr Charlie Murphy of Tullow municipal district told The Nationalist that any homeowner or business who suffered damage to their property and feels they could be entitled to support should get in contact with their local councillor or the council directly, saying: “We are here to assist in any way and there are supports available to people who have been affected.” Beside Plunketts sits a beautiful semi-detached house where the residents John and Mary are in the process of hanging a pair of saturated carpets out on the garden wall in the hope that they may dry out.

They say that this is the worst flooding they have seen in the 20-odd years they have been in Clonegal.

Fortunately for the pair, they were able to spend Tuesday night in Dublin and missed the worst effects, but when they returned home to assess the damage, they discovered that a substantial amount had been done, particularly to some of the household appliances and also to the garden, which backs out onto the river.

“The garden is ruined, but on the bright side, I suppose, it gives us something to work towards now in the spring,” said John.