Town Mayor praises efforts of fire and road crews but calls for urgent action to save Donegal homes

Tributes have been paid to fire crews who saved homes by relentlessly pumping rapidly rising water from a flooding hotspot in Donegal Town during Storm Barra.

But the close call has led to renewed appeals for a major project to protect the area from flooding to progress as a matter of urgency.

For the residents of Clareden Drive, every storm brings fear, anxiety and flashbacks to devastating flooding suffered three times in the last six years. 

 As Storm Barra approached, Donegal County Council’s Civil Defence team brought sandbags to vulnerable premises, with additional stockpiles for use by the public. 

On Wednesday, December 8 with the weather warning upgraded to Status Orange, it looked at first as if the flooding wasn’t too bad. But by lunchtime, it was a different story as water reached the front doorsteps of the most vulnerable homes.

A spokesperson for Donegal County Council said: “At 3pm, brigades from Donegal Town, Ballyshannon and Killybegs were deployed to flooding in the Clareden and Brookfield areas of the town. Additional pumping resources were also forward deployed in anticipation of the high tide occurring at about 9 pm. 

“Tidal and weather conditions were monitored as the high tide approached and receded. The last brigade closed down from the incident at about 9.20 pm. 

“Fire brigade intervention prevented water entering a number of houses in Clareden Drive. The Council's Roads Service was also involved in the operation.”

Mayor of Donegal Town Pauric Kennedy is very grateful to the firefighters and road crews for their part in averting yet another flooding disaster for the Clareden Drive residents.

But he believes this situation should have been resolved long ago. The homes in question were previously flooded during Storm Abigail in 2015, Storm Desmond in 2016 and Storm Lorenzo in 2019.

Mr Kennedy said: “It is unfortunate that this problem still keeps coming back and coming back and those families are living in fear every time there is a storm.

“We seem to be forgotten about again. 

“Ministers arrived here before, and they rolled up their sleeves and were going to sort it all out. These problems are still here and there are no ministers to be seen.

“It is part of the Office of Public Works remit to get this all sorted out.

“Hopefully there will be some solution sooner rather than later.”

A son of the late councillor and long-serving firefighter Peter Kennedy, the Mayor Of Donegal Town knows all too well the effort and dedication of those who work tirelessly to keep everyone else safe. 

He said: “We are blessed that we have so many dedicated people ready and available to help day and night.

“I wish them all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and I thank them for all they have done over the Covid crisis.”