A local suckler farmer in Shannon Harbour in Co. Offaly – who was forced out of his home because of flooding in the area – says he would have been left to fend for himself in the aftermath were it not for the kindness of neighbours and friends.
Paddy Towey resides in the heart of the picturesque riverside village which is surrounded by green pastures and situated close to the Offaly/Galway border.
A high percentage of the land there has been designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and together with the constant threat of flooding in the area farmers remain on high alert throughout the year.
Shannon Harbour forms part of the Shannon Callows comprising five counties including Galway, Westmeath, north Tipperary, Offaly and Roscommon.
Overall, thousands of acres of land in the region is currently underwater following last week’s heavy rainfall.
But for Towey “there has been worse than this”.
The heavy rainfall at the end of 2009 and throughout the early months of 2010 resulted in the local river bursting its banks in Shannon Harbour.
And with the threat of flooding already evident the village and its environs were flooded alongside hundreds of acres of farmland.
Towey – who lived in a nice house in the village with his farmyard and sheds at the back – had insurance and he was in a position to renovate the house in the aftermath and move back in.
In an effort the protect the sheds he raised them about 4ft from the ground.
However, in 2015, the house became flooded again but this time it wasn’t insured.
Towey ended up living in a caravan in the village for three months.
“I couldn’t get cover after the previous flood so when it hit again in 2015 the house and contents were destroyed and I had to move out,” he continued.
He then found himself in the caravan which was located directly across the road from his home; later, he secured a house a few doors up from his own – he has been renting that house ever since.
Standing in the dilapidated and decaying shell of his old home, Towey told AgriLand that he received no help or support from any government agency in the aftermath of the flooding and he feels now that he was left to fend for himself.
He also pointed out that there are other people in the region who are in a similar situation to himself.
“It is simply not good enough to leave people who have been flooded out of their homes to fend for themselves like this,” he continued.
“I have tried to speak to a number of ministers about my situation but I am being ignored.”
Meanwhile, Towey continues to farm his land and operates from the yard at the back of his former home.
The electricity has never been reconnected though.
He says the ESB disconnected the supply to the house and farm in 2016 and informed residents in the area that it would be reconnected at a cost of €300 per house.
“When I have cows calving out in the yard I have no electricity. I applied to the ESB to get the supply back but they wanted €300 from all the houses that were flooded, so it has never been turned back on.
“Meanwhile, I have to use the lights of my tractor when the cows are calving; it is just a disaster the whole thing.”