Residents of Mayo town fear repeat of devastating floods

Residents in Crossmolina remain “fearful” of a repeat of the devastating floods of 2015 as the town faces another two winters before its €34m flood relief scheme is expected to be completed, a local councillor has said.

A meeting with the Office of Public Works (OPW), Mayo Fire Service, council officials and local residents was held in Crossmolina last month to discuss the emergency response in the event of another flood.

Speaking at the October meeting of Ballina Municipal District, Cllr Michael Loftus said the meeting provided an opportunity to review issues from previous floods and discuss any necessary preparations. The Fianna Fáil councillor said the possibility of another flood in the north Mayo town was something the local community remained “fearful of”.

He said the rough timeline for completion of the River Deel (Crossmolina) Flood Relief Scheme was two years, meaning the town would have to face “another two winters” before the works were completed. 

“[Flooding] is something we are very wary of and very afraid of, but at least we have a plan in place. People can be reassured in the event of flooding that all the services are there to assist them."

The River Deel Flood Relief Scheme was announced in September 2024. It is designed to protect 73 homes and 43 businesses from severe flooding and is due to be completed by 2029.

Cllr Loftus said the meeting was “very informative” and that it was “great to see the relationship between the OPW and the council”.

“We went through a lot of the issues that we had at our previous floods. It was great to get the input from the fire services in Crossmolina,” he added. “It was a well-worth exercise. I know the council are going to meet the OPW in relation to it, and I wanted to say thank you.”

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.