€18,000 new funding for flood mitigation works in Callan

Just weeks after the Abhainn Rí river in Callan burst its banks after heavy rains, funding has today been announced for additional flood mitigation works in the town.

Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Mr. Patrick O’Donovan, T.D., has announced the approval of Kilkenny County Council’s application for funding under the Office of Public Works’ Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme.

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Under the scheme, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has approved funding of €18,000 to assess silt mounds and on-going issues with the current pumping arrangement.

This funding is in addition to €270,000 approved by the OPW in 2010 for the construction of flood defence walls to the north and temporary flood barriers to the south of the river. 

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At a meeting of Callan Thomastown Municipal District councillors in November, after the most recent flooding, area engineer Declan Murphy said the council would liaise with the OPW. At the time Mr Murphy explained that in Callan there was flooding in the KCAT car park, Keogh's Lane and on Upper Bridge Street.  A millrace runs under the car park, he said, and the pump simply could not cope with the volume of water coming through. This caused the pipes to back up. There was nothing wrong with the pump, it kept working.

Bridge Street, Mr Murphy said, was affected when water levels reached such a high level that storm drains backed up. The level of water on Bridge Street was the level of water in the river. Currently 'non-return' valves on the drains are not installed, except at one local premises. When the water level on Bridge Street gets to a certain height "it has nowhere else to go," he said.

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At the time Director of Services, Mary Mulholland, said flooding had been an issue on Bridge Street for many, many years and the council had put measures in place to deal with  the levels at the time. The flood defence schemes were designed for different requirements, Ms Mulholland told that meeting.