Clean-up begins after a landslide blocked roads, destroyed bridges and damaged homes in Mayo.
The landslide followed an exceptional period of heavy rain which destabilised a section of Dooncarton mountain overlooking Poll an tSómais (Pollatomish), causing it to move.
Bridges were blocked by banks of mud, homes flooded and a section of the graveyard, which overlooks Sruwaddacon Bay, destroyed. Hundreds of people were stranded. Locals say they have never seen anything like it.
The skies opened with rain you would think it was pebbles smashing off the window.
Emergency services have been working through the night to clear roads, rebuild bridges and restore water and power supplies. Superintendent Tony McNamara who is based at Belmullet Garda Station believes the community here are very fortunate in that no lives were lost.
The mountain moved and just missed houses by inches.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 20 September 2003. The reporter is Gareth O'Connor.
