Tuesday night was not one of my best for sleep was hard to find. I was wearing one of those blood pressure cuffs that inflated every hour during the night and every half an hour in the day time, It was damnably annoying for I was awoken each time. From my bed I could hear extremely heavy rain falling in torrents, making a drumming noise that only storms do.
So it was of no real surprise to find a pond in our road the following morning. The roadside drain had been supposedly cleared by a contractor who specialises in such things, though some only do the minimum of work and of cosmetic appearance only. The six-inch ceramic pipe which actually carries away the water to a lower level was still blocked and the reliance on seepage only, had created the pond.
A pond covering our southerly entrance.
I had an appointment with the doctor at 10.30am, just a few miles away, no more than a 5 km drive. We took our normal route and were flagged down by a man in a van so Mrs H slowed down to a crawl and just as well that she did for a round the corner a powerful muddy torrent several millimetres deep was crossing the road. Further along we could see a vehicle that had ben swept into the ditch.
Water from the river Barrow over flows fields and roads
The Barrow water flows on...
The impassable state left us no alternative than to return and try another route via the nearby village of Rosenallis. Our journey this time progressed quite well, although there was some ponding that had to be negotiated with care, it was safe enough, until we approached Tinnahinch bridge. There we were met by yet another raging, muddy flow from the river Barrow which had taken charge of the road, forcing us back to Rosenallis.
Tinnahinch Bridge
A hardy Donkey bathes its feet
Trees sucked from the riverbank block the flow
of a normally tranquil river
On the other side of Tinnahinch bridge
Our only alternative now was to drive to Killiegh in Co Offaly, along a road that borders the Clodiagh river whose banks are quite high. I felt this would be our only route to the Doctors even though it was miles out of our way.
It was the right decision as we only met with one small over flow from the embankment and several small road pondings en route.
Finally the damn gadget was removed from my left bicep and the results were given to me.
At Clonaslee
The Clodiagh River it too misbehaved
making a nuisance of it's self.
Unlike the River Barrow which joins the sea at
Waterford, the Clodiagh travels into Co. Ofally and eventually
flows into the River Shannon to join the sea south of Limerick.
The Clodiagh in full flow northwards to Ofally
Near me the flooded pasture of a neighbour.
Back at home. When a few hours later, a friend arrived in his jeep and we went off exploring to take photos of our earlier watery obstructions. Today, Thursday 80 percent of the floods have drained away.
Have you any experiences of being flooded or have a similar journey to ours ?
The waters flowed into Mountmellick a town of about 5,000 people
