Cllr. Mike Kennelly has this week welcomed funding of almost €1million to Kerry County Council for flooding works in the town of Listowel. The funding of €955,000 will be used for flood defences to protect some 50 properties at risk from flooding at Clieveragh in Listowel. The Clieveragh area has experienced significant flooding in 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2015 and again in 2023.
Mike Kennelly, said: “Over the last number of years I have personally lobbied and fought for funding for these extremely important works. I have worked with local residents, businesses and other concerned members of the community, who have experienced flooding in recent years. Only this summer, after a significant heavy rainfall event, the streams in Clieveragh could not take the volumes of water.
Mike Kennelly said: “This is phase one of an overall flood relief scheme for Listowel as a result of the most recent flooding events in Clieveragh. Kerry County Council, Uisce Eireann and The OPW are designing and are near completion of a new Listowel area drainage plan to alleviate potential future issues. The funding allocated for Clieveragh will benefit other areas in the town including The Ballybunion Road, onto the newly constructed by-pass road and towards and onto The Forge Road, Greenville. The drainage plan that is currently being proposed will take into account the flooding the town endured in June and find solutions to eradicate anymore fears of future flooding.”
“People cannot be asked to live with the risk and the fear of flooding where an easy solution can be identified and easily delivered. While there is a planned flood relief scheme for Listowel, a simple solution can be easily delivered in advance of the main scheme to manage the flood risk at the boundary of the town.”
The funding will enable works to include:
• Over ground storm water attenuation pond (purpose built water storage facility on three and a half acres) at Curraghatoosane.
• New open channel to convey the outflow from the pond to the Clieveragh watercourse to the south
This week’s allocation brings funding to manage flooding at Clieveragh to €1.1m after previous amounts of €176,000 in 2016-17 were allocated to Kerry County Council to explore and design a flood relief solution for the area.
Cllr. Mike Kennelly concluded: “I am personally delighted for the individuals, families and businesses that have been continuously affected by these flooding issues from The Ballylongford Road, Clieveragh area, Ballybunion Road and The Forge Road areas. This project has been a long time in coming but finally there is light at the end of the tunnel and this is great news for all the concerned parties going forward.”
