While the greater Dublin area may have received the worst of the recent heavy rain, several other areas around Ireland were also coping with the aftermath of floods today.
In Co Tyrone boats were used to rescue 18 people, including two children, after a river burst its banks in Beragh yesterday. The new £1 million GAA centre in the village was also damaged in the flooding.
Several rivers burst their banks and many roads were made impassable because of the flooding in different parts of Northern Ireland. There were also reports of serious flooding in areas such as Strabane, Omagh and Newry.
The SDLP Minister of the Environment Alex Attwood promised to try to help homeowners whose properties were flooded. He said he was making emergency funds available to local councils to assist with the clear-up.
Rail services in the north were also affected with the Dublin/Belfast Enterprise service between Newry and Belfast not operating due to flooding on the line.
In the border town of Ballybay, Co Monaghan, Gardaí evacuated a number of houses when flooding caused the collapse of some masonry near gas storage tanks, leading to fears of a gas leak or explosion.
AA Roadwatch reported that a number of roads around Monaghan were closed due to the flooding adding that Monaghan town centre was impassable, advising people to avoid the area. Elsewhere in the county, the Blackwater River burst its banks at Piper’s Bridge.
Roads in Carlow, Kilkenny, Cavan and Louth were also listed as impassable.
In Wicklow, where Garda Ciaran Jones lost his life when he was swept away by floodwaters last night, the Sally Gap and the Wicklow Gap were listed as “passable with absolute caution” while the road between Ballyknocken and Valleymount was closed due to a collapsed bridge.
The effects of the unusually heavy rainfall stretched as far as Co Kerry where the Slea Head Road in the west of the county was due to be reopened tomorrow after being closed due to flooding today.