My nightmare week in the midst of the Athlone floods

It's been a week without comparison; a week when days merged seamlessly into each other and when the only topic of conversation was by how little or, unfortunately on most days, by how much the water levels were rising. I'm hoping to secure an honorary degree in hydrology from an Irish university such is my sudden knowledge of the Shannon waterways. It all began last Thursday week or so, when water levels emerged worryingly from The Big Meadow which backs onto the rear of my home. Large quantities of water began to annex the street and when neighbours' houses, on lower sites, flooded late the week before last, it soon became apparent that preventative action needed to be taken. And so began a tortuous saga of operating pumps around the clock. It was a battle I was able to engage in thanks to the understanding of my employers who provided the scope for me to leave work. The strategy was simple - pump out the water to stem the rising floods, sandbag as much as possible and hope to see out the storm. When matters continued to deteriorate, on Monday week, what had been intermittent pumping turned into a 24-hour battle against the elements. What began as a single petrol pump, mushroomed at the peak of the floods to four petrol water pumps and four electrical water pumps (although not all were in operation together), sourced from far and wide. Indeed, for the entire week, helped by a battalion of family, in-laws, friends, friends of friends, and even people with whom I had only a passing acquaintance, there was a constant presence at my home. When the water levels were rising, as they did with alarming consistency until Friday last, there was even a pressing need to have two people on duty manning the pumps, replenishing the petrol supplies, fixing the regular hose leaks and the endless series of tasks. In the main, as well as helping out throughout much of the day, I worked the overnight shifts, although as fatigue and battle-weariness began to take its toll on me later in the week, friends began to volunteer to take on the wee hours. And in a remarkable example of the overwhelming kindness displayed throughout the week, I was even expelled from my own home on Friday night as the main helpers devised an overnight rota among themselves, leaving me to enjoy a good night's sleep in the comfort of my parents' home. When trotted out endlessly by the media, it can become a trite cliche, but the manner in which people rallied out around my family during the last week was truly incredible, heart-warming and uplifting. In times of adversity, people rise to the challenge and I will never be able to fully thank all who have helped. During this marathon, I've been inundated by the media, mainly because Deerpark Road remains accessible on foot (albeit, wellingtoned) from the Dean Crowe Theatre direction (note the general absence of detailed media reports and pictures from the heavily flooded Carrickobrien and Clonown areas). However, I have to say there was no intrusion and the media was, in the main, respectful. Politicians too have been regular visitors - Minister of State Martin Mansergh arrived along with an entourage carried by two army vehicles and two Garda cars on Sunday last. Most have been genuine information-gathering exercises, although the arrival of Taoiseach Brian Cowen on Thursday morning last sparked a now notorious row when he declined to don waders or enter a boat to witness the extent of the flooding. Due to the nature of my job and the fact that I have worked in the media in Offaly for over ten years, I have had some small dealings with the Taoiseach and have always found him personable, open and accessible. However, I believe he was guilty of a lack of judgement during his visit to Athlone, though, most of the blame must fall on his handlers and those who organised the visit. In the main, it was the stage-managed nature of his appearance which most annoyed people who were tired and emotional. There were reports in the area of sandbags being placed outside already flooded homes in the area in advance of the visit, of heavily-flooded homes being rejected in favour of more positive dwellings, of handlers informing locals to thank the Taoiseach in front of the camera. All of this combined to create the impression the visit was nothing but a photo opportunity. My own experience might serve to explain the frustration of the local residents. Having grabbed three and a half hours sleep on Thursday morning, I was woken from my slumbers by friends and informed the Taoiseach was on a visit to the area. When I emerged, I found two county council vans parked outside my home, the first time they had appeared during the floods. As time went on it became clearer that the Taoiseach, who was out of sight at the top of Parnell Square, was not likely to travel down Deerpark Road. Requested by locals who had gathered around the council vans, I made a phone call and was informed the Taoiseach had departed the area. After I imparted the news to the small gathering, the council staff jumped into their vans and departed immediately. Later, a Fianna Fail politician told me, in apparent seriousness, that the Taoiseach had no way of getting to the more flooded areas. In the media invitations, the visit was described as being designed to assess the extent of the flooding. And while it was useful of the Taoiseach to take the time to witness the flooded areas in Westmeath and Offaly, particularly when the pre-budget discussions and the Murphy report in Dublin must have placed major demands on his time, it might have been better for him to remain in Dublin. A whistle-stop tour can sometimes be counter-productive and this was a PR disaster for the Taoiseach. Some sections of the media, of course, strove to make hay while the sun shone. One weekend paper criticised the Taoiseach's failure to don wellingtons at a time when "the barrack town of Athlone virtually disappeared under an acquatic blanket". At least, the Taoiseach had personal first-hand experience of the floods, unlike, it would appear, the writer of the above hyperbole. There was another PR disaster earlier in the week. In general, I have sympathy and understanding for the views of workers and the trade union movement regarding the proposed cutbacks, but, I believe the decision by the union movement not to allow council workers in the Athlone region to defer their strike was unforgivable and will have done more to damage the union movement in this region than any series of one-day strikes. To be fair, the workers on the ground had been immense. Throughout Sunday, council workers were filling sandbags at the council depot on Gracepark Road. However, on Monday evening, shortly after 5pm, I visited the same depot, only to find it closed and two pallets of sandbags frustratingly left in public view behind the locked gates. The county council kicked into action as the floods intensified, but there was an unfortunate delay in responding to the emerging crisis. Only on Tuesday last when the strike took place were the army called out to assist and only on Thursday or Friday were civil defence personnel mobilised. Fire Service personnel remain confined to their stations, bar for their regular duties. Top council officials who visited the affected areas in the middle of last week seemed genuinely shocked at the level of flooding. If the county council's involvement needs to be considered, there is no second opinion required on the input of Cllr Kevin 'Boxer' Moran. As a journalist, I try to exercise political impartiality, but there are times to call a spade a spade. And for many families around Athlone, Boxer was the hero of the hour. Whether securing pumps, getting his hands wet or evacuating people from their homes, from 5am each morning, Boxer's jeep was a regular sight in Brick Island, Deerpark Road, Canal Banks and the many other flooded locations. He, of course, was not the only politician to display solidarity with the affected people, but, engrossed in my own battle and without the opportunity to survey the wider picture, I can only say he was by far the most helpful in my own little patch. I'm sure others made their own contributions, not least those involved in the Flood Relief Centre. It's now Tuesday evening and as I write this my pumps are still in operation, though thankfully now at a lower intensity, following the fall in the water level over the weekend. I was one of the lucky ones. My home, along with maybe one other on the street, remains dry. It would not have been remotely possible without the groundswell of support I received for which I will always be truly grateful. With the water not expected to recede in the immediate future, there remains the fear that I have only won a battle, and the war is still up for grabs. But, at the moment, I have the fight for the battle, buoyed by the support of friends and family.