'To receive these messages is appalling': Councillor harassed after flood trauma in Midleton

A MIDLETON councillor revealed the disturbing cyber harassment she endured after her business was destroyed in the recent flooding caused by Storm Babet.

Fianna Fáil councillor Ann Marie Ahern outlined the reasons why she broke down while addressing flooding issues at a meeting at Cork County Council chambers. The business woman, who runs Ahern Auctioneers in Midleton, told The Echo she was shocked at the messages she received, one of which said she “should have been washed away in the floods”. It followed a long and exhausting number of days for the Midleton woman whose experiences were compounded by distressing online attacks.

The politician was seen being comforted by colleagues as she made an emotional plea for the online abuse to stop.

“It was very hurtful for me and my family to receive messages from people using this storm as political propaganda,” she told the meeting. 

“I would ask please that they do not do this. I have lost my business. People have lost their homes. To receive these messages is appalling when we as a community should be pulling together. I would please ask that all representatives here ask that this not be made political and that it please be made what it is — a humanitarian crisis that we all need to work together on”.

The politician reiterated her disappointment in an interview with The Echo following the meeting.

“Not in the circumstances we were in was that in any way acceptable. We as public representatives are affected by this too in very different ways. Myself and Cllr Susan McCarthy both lost our businesses. I know myself that I did my best to help as many businesses and home owners as possible. I’d just like people to respect that we experienced and went through it as well. As we get out of the initial shock of this just be kind to one another”.

She opened up about the nature of the messages she received during the encounter, adding that one family member faced upsetting comments on the street.

“It passed a level of nastiness. People didn’t taken into account that we are human beings also affected by this. I choose to be a county councillor but please leave my family alone.”

Ms Ahern’s remarks follow concern from acting County Council CEO Valerie O’Sullivan that county council has been the focus of unfair criticism linked with recent flooding in Midleton.

“This has been a sustained event quick to return after each reprieve in the weather conditions, leaving our communities and our workforce in a state of constant alert, particularly in East Cork areas. However, the impacts are evident county wide,” she said during a meeting of county councillors. “I wish to state for the record information for anyone who has commented inaccurately in the media and for the purpose of absolute clarity. Cork [County] Council were as prepared as any agency could possibly have been for this unprecedented rainfall event, particularly in the town of Midleton”.

She highlighted the efforts that were made to reduce fallout from the storm.

“Prior to any rainfall and on foot of a status orange alert issued by Met Éireann on Monday last, drains and gullies at known flooding hotspots were all checked. As regards Midleton, all drains and gullies were checked two weeks previously. The East Cork area engineer, whose knowledge and experience is second to none, took extra care to clear drains and on Monday, having assessed the weather warning received from Met Éireann, forewarned people that the impact of what was to come would be very significant. When rivers reach capacity the waters appear up through the drains and gullies regardless of how clear they were before a flood event. This is known as surcharging. The surface water drainage system in place across every town has a limited capacity and is not designed to cope with the intense burst of rain flow and flash flooding that we experienced in such a short period of time. This is the reality and the clearest of drains would surcharge in such cases.

“What happened in Midleton was way beyond the capacity of the surface water draining system.”