An elderly couple in Co Roscommon have said that they are devastated after being told the road outside their home is going to be closed on Monday to facilitate flood relief protection measures.
Edward John and Teresa Beattie, who are aged in their 80s, have lived at Ballagh beside Lough Funshinagh all their lives.
"We are now eight years living through this hell, we left our home in 2021 and here we are now three years later being asked to leave again by Roscommon County Council. We simply cannot take anymore.
"We are not even sure emergency services can reach our house now and have had to build with the help of neighbours make shift roads for access. We are not leaving and that is it," they said.
Their son Matthew Beattie said his parents are decent, hard working people; "It is soul destroying that they are being put through this."
Mary Beattie, who is no relation, lives next door and is also affected by the road closure. She is standing firm with the support of her family.
"I'm here over 50 years in my family home and I never thought I'd spend my final years living in such despair. Now my grandkids can't even come to visit me with roads closed."
Previous efforts to drain excess water from the lake using an over flow pipe were halted following a High Court injunction over environmental concerns.
In recent weeks both households had been advised by Roscommon County Council that they would be putting flood-defence sandbags on the road outside their homes in Ballagh ahead of the expected rising water levels.
The council had also advised them to move out as a precautionary measure.
In a statement the council said: "Roscommon County Council has made the decision to close the local road L-2005 at Ballagh, Co Roscommon, effective from 11am on Monday, February 19th.
"This closure is necessary to facilitate the deployment of additional temporary flood protection measures along this road, aimed at safeguarding adjacent properties from rising water levels at Lough Funshinagh."
Councillor's worst fears 'realised'
This is the first time that the local road L-2005 has been closed due to the rising water levels.
Independent Roscommon County Councillor, Laurence Fallon said the water has risen substantially in the past week.
"Our worst fears have been realised. We have consistently been saying since 2018 or 2019 that this lake couldn't rectify itself without an overflow pipe.
"Our big fear now is that we could have another two months of high rainfall and no understanding of what height the lake will get to before the dry weather starts," said Cllr Fallon.
The road is a link road between Rahara and Lecarrlow and also links to the N61, the main road into Athlone which gets very busy in the mornings and evenings
Cllr Fallon believes up to 100 people use the road daily, if not more.
"It’s a huge link road going to Lecarrow for a significant agricultural business with vehicles going up and down to the store. A number of farmers use the road on a daily basis.
"Another road in Lisphelim has also closed and people would have been using this road while the other road was closed. The alternative journey might be reasonable in a car but very difficult in a tractor.
"There’s a teacher who lives on the other side of the lake and is now doubly inconvenienced because now two roads she would have used to get to school are going to be closed."
At this stage Cllr Fallon said there is no clear understanding of how effective the huge work already carried out by the council in emergency measures will be to hold the water back.
He's concerned the water may seep up the other side or the large sandbags could give way.
"At what stage will the emergency become so great that nothing else can be done. This is seriously worrying people in the locality now."
