This article is from page 11 of the 2014-02-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
ANY repair work carried out along the Shannon estuary following the January storms were quickly disposed of by the St Bridgid’s Day at the weekend, and now up to 2,000 acres of agricultural land remains under damaging sea water.
New breaches have also been added to the Shannon embankment.
The main Ennis to Kildysart road remains flooded at Ballycorrick Bridge in Ballynacally and becomes impassable at high tide.
All low lying areas were still un der water on Monday with agricultural land in Ballynacally, Kildysart, Clonderlaw, Burrane in Kilimer and Carnacalla, Kilrush severely flooded. One house in Shore Park, Kildysart, was also flooded, as was the local graveyard.
The road from Kildysart to Labasheeda was closed on Saturday as the sea wall was damaged and debris littered the road.
Local county councillor Oliver Garry (FG) said local farmers are under pressure to look after the embankment as the Office of Public Works did not take over responsibility for the area from the Board of Works.
“30 years ago the Board of Works serviced those embankments, but when the OPW took over they did not service those areas, they only serviced land from Island Avanna down to Shannon Airport,” he said.
Cllr Garry said a meeting has now been arranged with the Minister for Agriculture and junior minister in the department in a bid to lobby them for a one-off grant to carry out works on the embankment forgotten by the OPW. It is hoped the meeting will take place later this week.