This article is from page 16 of the 2014-01-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
FARMERS with land around Farihy Bay in Doonbeg are facing the possibility of a serious fodder shortage next winter as hundreds of acres of farmland remain water logged as a result of damage to a nearby sluice.
The sluice was installed by the Land Commission to channel water from the land when it would inevitable flood during extensive rainfall.
Heavy rainfall, coupled with storms and high tides resulted in land covered in salty water in the last fortnight.
A blockage coming from the back of the sluice means that water cannot flow freely and drain the land, leaving up to an estimated 300 acres of prime farm land flooded with sea water.
Thomás Flanagan and Gearoid Greene are just two of more than a half a dozen farmers affected by the break down in the infrastructure.
The farmers had employed a digger to clear the sluice of rocks lodge in the large concrete pipe, but to little or no avail as waves continue to carry debris over the sluice, which then lodges at the back of the sluice and eventually gets stuck in the stones of the main flow pipe blocking the water again.
Even high land that is not susceptible to flooding is not accessible to the farmers. Mr Flanagan explained that he cannot access prime grazing land which lies high above sea level as the access road has been washed away in the storm and the surrounding land remain water logged. At least 70 acres of Mr Greene’s land, which he would have used for silage in the spring, remains under seawater, the salt content of which continues to burn the land. He said he was very concerned about how he will access fodder for his cows next year.
“There will be houses in danger if this water rises again and the sluice is not sorted,” said Mr Flanagan.
“You don’t mind if you get have rain for a day or two and the water builds up once or twice a year; it will go eventually, but the problem we have here is the bits of rubbish get stuck between the stones and it blocks the stones. It will slow down the flow every time,” he said.
“About 80 per cent of the water went down when we cleared the sluice, but it is filling again. And if we get heavy rain it will be as bad again,” said Mr Flanagan.
In the 1990s their fathers paid to have the sluice repaired, but the cost of repairing the public infrastructure this time will cost significantly more, the farmers have warned.
The farmers fear that the repair of the sluice will fall between Clare County Council and the OPW and are anxious that one of the bodies take responsibility and rectify the problem immediately.
These full time dairy farmers rely on the income from their farms to support their young families, and while the sluice remains damaged their livelihood remains under threat, they explained.