For the last week now we have been surrounded by water. We live in an enclave of 10 houses built six years ago at the height of the Celtic Tiger on land people refused to venture on because of its tendency to remain under water for much of the time. Mr. Gallagher, our builder, who served his time in the Indus Delta area of Bangladesh, used all his wily inate skills that only a true post-colonial Irishman has and constructed the raft foundations of the houses to a level he knew was above and only just above the record flood levels we have reached this week.
Some of our neighbours are panicking and going to unbelievable efforts to keep the waters at bay but cannot understand the basic principles of hydrodynamics and so are valiantly wasting their time and money in flood prevention work that has no effect on either flood or property. If they had stayed in bed for a week they would have been more successful and possibly more creative. As it turned out the water levels did not get to within 150mm of their thresholds but with some,sphinctures start to twitch before they need to. Therefore my hero of the week is the wily Mr. G for laying the slabs of the houses at such a high altitude.
My other hero is our postman , who faced with waters so deep that he could not safely drive his van through, parked on high ground, and with his arms full of letters, parcels and the daily shite that normally comes through your letter box, climbed over several fences and delivered. This was true Wells Fargo stuff and delightful to witness.
My more serious thoughts go to the archaeological sites for which this area is inundated with and hope that they have withstood the weather better than some 21st Century constructions. They will certainly have had better practice at it as some of these sights are 5500 years old. Looking out into the flooded field at the rear of the house the site of Drum church and its attendant souterrain is under water. The church is famous for being founded by Columcille in about 560AD. Unfortunately it was destroyed by some pre-colonial cattle raiders in the 15th century but not before it had made its mark on Irish history.
Going further up river you arrive at Abbeytown Bridge built by the Cistercian monks in 1220AD and the oldest working bridge in Ireland. It is this bridge that probably saved our twee little enclave as all week long it has been holding back 900mm of water and acting like a dam for property down river. I am sticking the old Cistercian monks up there with my heroes of the week. More talk of our archaeological riches in the days to come.
Having just read Drayton Bird‘s dynamic daily blog I fully concur with his sentiments. Why do you people of England let this dreary little shirt Mandelson patronise and at the same time laugh at you on a daily basis. I would make sure that I would be with Drayton when tying him to the front of the car and make sure his rectum was facing outwards to ensure as much as possible was thrust up it.