Galway families face reality of flood fall-out

It was exactly six years ago when Tom Quinn was woken from his slumber at dawn in his home at Caherfourvause, a mile outside the Galway village of Craughwell.

“I got a bit of a shock when I put my feet outside the bed and there was a foot of water,” he recalled.

This time around he was not caught unawares with the nearby Rahasane Turlough overflowing.

“I was expecting it. It started coming on Sunday morning. I had put in sandbags while waiting for it. By 10pm it made its way into the house. Soon there was two foot of water or more. Still not as bad as the last time when it was up over the windowsills,” he reflected calmly.

Tom is a farmer and pensioner living alone. He built the house 40 years ago, near the house his father and grandfather lived in. He is now back in with his sister a few miles away having lived with her for six months after the last flood.

This time around he doesn’t have the comfort of insurance.

PRESS PLAY TO VIEW THE VIDEO ABOVE OF FLOODING IN LISHEENAVALLA AND CAHERLEA. (VIDEO: JOE O’SHAUGHNESSY)

“I got back €90,000 to fix the house back then. The floor had to be redone, walls plastered, sure the house was destroyed. They wouldn’t insure me again after that so I don’t know what I’ll do now.”

He is hopeful to avail of the some of the compensation package currently being formulated by the Government for people unable to get insurance due to previous flooding.

Until something is done with the Rahasane Turlough, all their homes will be on red alert for flooding, Tom insists.

See full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.