Cork community builds its own flood defences following Storm Babet damage

THE community of Ballinhassig decided to take matters into their own hands to prevent further flood damage to their village.

Eight houses in the area were flooded in October of this year after Storm Babet saw widespread damage in Cork, and this isn’t the first time the residents have had their homes damaged.

Denis McCarthy, chairman of the Ballinhassig Village Association, told The Echo, “The houses got flooded for the first time in 2009, then again in 2015 and again a couple of weeks ago — there’s eight houses affected, and six of these have pensioners living in them.” A lot of the families in those eight houses are natives of Ballinhassig, and they or their family have been there for decades.

He explained that there is money granted from the Office of Public Works and Cork County Council for a flood barrier, but that the process has been ongoing since 2009.

“After the latest flood we were told that they’d hope to go for planning in late 2024, and at some stage a flood barrier will go in, but there will be an awful lot of floods between the planning being granted and the barrier going in.

“We met with the eight residents and worked out what we could do for them, and we decided to fundraise for a temporary barrier,” Mr McCarthy said.

“What we’re doing is putting a big bank of clay in the shape of a horseshoe around the houses,” he said.

Machines came on site last Saturday December 9, and work started on Monday 11.

Mr McCarthy expects the work to be complete by this Monday.

“The response we’ve got from the local community and Ballinhassig people who now live elsewhere has been spectacular, and without that we couldn’t have been able to do anything”, Mr McCarthy said.

He added that any excess money that is raised but won’t be used on the job will go to the Ballinhassig Parish Emergency Fund.

The GoFundMe is still accepting donations here.

OPW

A spokesperson for the OPW told The Echo: “A tender competition for a Consultancy Contract to provide engineering and environmental services to progress the Ballinhassig Flood Relief Scheme was first issued in late 2022. Tenders were received in Q1 2023.

“Following tender assessment, and discussions between Cork County Council and the OPW, as there was no tender submission which offered a value for money proposal, it was agreed that it was not possible to appoint a consultant for the project at that time.

“Cork County Council then worked in partnership with the OPW to adjust the requirements for the Consultancy Contract, in an effort to find a solution to provide professional services to deliver the Contract.

“The Consultancy Contract was retendered in Q3 2023, a preferred tenderer has been identified and the Consultant Appointment will be made shortly, following the recent approval by the Office of Public Works for this appointment.

“The provision of technical services by the Consultant will commence immediately on appointment.”