Storm Georgina closes motorway and causes widespread flooding

A VICIOUS sting in the tail from Storm Georgina closed the M17 motorway between Tuam and Athenry for two hours on Wednesday morning after a hail storm led to a number of minor collisions.

Several Garda squad cars and fire brigade units were called to the scenes of collisions between Junction 19 at Annagh Hill and Junction 18 at Rathmorrissy between 6.30 and 7.30am on Wednesday morning.

Gardai took the decision to close the motorway on both directions for a two-hour period from around 8am to 10am after what motorists described as ‘perilous’ driving conditions.

A tail-end Storm Georgina torrential thunder shower – that hit the area shortly after 6.30am –  led to frozen hailstone accumulations on the motorway with several vehicles skidding out of control.

A Garda spokesperson said that they had to deploy several patrol cars to the area after a spate of minor collisions occurred along the motorway.

“Thankfully there were no injuries but the driving and road conditions deteriorated dramatically over a short period of time.

“Over the coming days, we are asking all road users to stay tuned in for the latest news on road and weather conditions and to adjust their driving accordingly,” said the Garda spokesperson.

Meanwhile there are increasing concerns this week across parts of South and East Galway, and Roscommon, over rising water levels and rivers bursting their banks onto large stretches of adjoining farmland.

Galway IFA Chairman and Ardrahan farmer Pat Murphy told the Connacht Tribune that the very wet weather of recent weeks and months had left the water table levels very high.

“As things stand the ground is absolutely saturated and we could all do with a fine week or two as the spring approaches. The rivers and drains just don’t have any more carrying capacity at present,” said Pat Murphy.

There was also serious flooding on the ‘New Line’ road between Gort and Kinvara on Sunday while the Dunkellin, Clare and Abbert Rivers have all burst their banks in places, flooding the adjacent fields.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.