Public consultation event on Lough Funshinagh flood works
Roscommon County Council is holding a third public consultation event tomorrow, Tuesday, to identify a viable design option to manage the flood risk at Lough Funshinagh.
The event gives the public and stakeholders the opportunity to give feedback on possible options as part of work on the selection of a preferred and viable option. The event from 4pm to 8pm, on Tuesday, is being held in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone.
Nine options are now being considered, following work in recent months by consultants on environmental surveys and assessments to manage constraints on all potential options, in this special area of conservation.
The options will be evaluated against the project’s dual objectives of managing the flood risk and minimising the impact on the environment in this area. The outcome of this public consultation event is to inform a preferred option for Roscommon County Council to submit a planning consent application An Coimisiún Pleanála later this year.
Lough Funshinagh, a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) turlough that has experienced severe and recurring flooding in recent years, including in 2010, 2016, 2021 and 2024. These events have resulted in significant flood risk to homes, farmland, infrastructure and local communities, while also impacting the qualifying interests of the SAC.
In response to the increasing frequency and severity of flooding, Roscommon County Council, working in conjunction with the Office of Public Works (OPW), has been progressing a staged approach to manage both immediate and long-term flood risk, while ensuring compliance with environmental and planning legislation.
In January 2025, Roscommon County Council securing planning consent for an interim flood relief scheme, to regulate flows from the Lough through the Cross River. Through overground pumping, in March 2025, Roscommon County Council commenced these interim flood relief measures.
The council said over the winter the pumps have ensured the water levels at Lough Funshinagh have been effectively managed.
Targeted flood protection measures were also installed at vulnerable properties to provide immediate relief from flooding. These works were implemented in 2024 and 2025 and continue to provide resilience for affected households.
The council said it looks forward to a positive engagement at this public consultation event, to inform a viable preferred option that it can progress to a robust planning consent application.