Parts of Carlow town still flooded

Sections of Carlow town, where the river Barrow has burst its banks, are still flooded for a fourth day.

Centaur Street and Kennedy Street are closed to traffic. Some apartment buildings are surrounded by water up to two metres and residents can only access their homes by boat.

This morning, the civil defence again provided a ferry service to enable people trapped in the apartments to go to work.

Spokesman Pádraig Cahill said that the water level had "dropped a bit on Friday and Saturday" but was up again this morning. He said his team of 14 volunteers has been on duty since last Thursday night and with rainfall continuing, expect to be on duty "for the rest of the week".

Soldiers from the James Stephens's Barracks in Kilkenny have also been providing assistance.

Elsewhere in the town, council workers using a tractor and trailer are giving people lifts through waterlogged streets.

Further south on the River Barrow, there is still flooding in Leighlinbridge and the road through the village remains impassable.

Also on the Barrow, some homes and businesses in Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny, are still flooded.

The water level on the River Nore in Co Kilkenny has subsided and most roads are open. But surface water is creating hazardous driving conditions on minor roads in north Co Kilkenny with the area between Freshford and Urlingford the worst affected.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen visited Clonmel, Co Tipperary this morning to view damage caused when the River Suir  flooded the Quays area.