School swamped as rivers overflow in day of widespread flooding

The Dropping Well pub in Milltown in Dublin after the Dodder overflowed.Photograph: Cyril Byrne

MARK KENNEDYPAMELA NEWENHAM and

SCHOOL MAY be cancelled for more than 80 children on Monday following flooding of the Russian Orthodox Church in Dublin.

Fr Michael Gogoluff described yesterday’s flooding as a “total disaster” saying it was the fourth inundation of the church and school in Harold’s Cross. “We had to pump 350,000 litres of water out of the church after the river Poddle overflowed into the back of the church,” he said.

Fr Gogoluff blamed Dublin City Council for the damage, adding “it’s not a new problem, it’s existed for years, as they have failed to put concrete protection by the river”.

Met Éireann says 40mm of rain fell on the greater Dublin area between 6am and 6pm, causing flooding on roads including the Kylemore Road at Labre Park, the River Road in Ashtown, the Coast Road at Dún Laoghaire and the Glasthule Road in Sandycove.

The river Dodder overflowed in Milltown, with damage to The Dropping Well pub.The Grand Canal burst its banks at Bluebell, but levels subsided when Waterways Ireland opened the locks.
Bray, Co Wicklow was on flood alert and some 1,000 people living in low-lying Little Bray beside Castle Street were told they may need to evacuate their homes.

Bray town clerk Christine Flood said that up to 6,000 sandbags had been distributed to households in the last few weeks.

Some streets flooded yesterday but there was no serious property damage, said Ms Flood. In Arklow, Co Wicklow, some streets were closed after drains overflowed, with the junction of South Green and Tinnahask described as a “mini lake”. In nearby Avoca, a number of houses in Brook Meadows and Ballanagh were damaged by floodwater.

The rain was also heavy in other parts of the State. Met Éireann meteorologist Joan Blackburn said Co Wexford received 40mm between midnight and 6pm yesterday, while parts of Cork had 29mm of rain.

Ms Blackburn said today will be much improved, while tomorrow will be mostly dry and bright with the odd shower. Monday, however, will bring more rain, and mixed weather conditions are expected into next week, she said.

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