A WOMAN IN her 80s was carried to safety from her home by her family after flooding hit her village in Co Kilkenny.

Floorboards were torn up and the ground floor had water at knee-height as of lunchtime today in Graiguenamanagh, as Breda Bolger and her family sought to salvage what they could from the property.

Storm Chandra brought heavy rains to already sodden soil in the area.

The wider Bolger family – who saw the home flooded a decade ago – rallied to help Breda to safety amid the rapidly rising waters.

The village’s main street was closed throughout yesterday after one of the area’s two rivers – the Duiske – burst its banks. The larger River Barrow followed suit today.

Breda’s son Eoin also lives in the house, and he and family members helped to see Breda to safety today.

Eoin stayed at the property to rescue a number of the family’s beloved pet dogs amid the rising water levels.

Breda’s granddaughter Ava Prendergast told The Journal that it was a stark reminder of the havoc that could be caused by flooding in the area, as she called for a proposed flood relief scheme to be constructed as soon as possible.

She recounted how the storm saw the water “come up through the tiles in the kitchen”, before the “front door came in” after the Barrow had burst its banks.

“We were promised ten years ago this will never happen again,” Ava said, referring to a previous major flood that resulted in serious damage to homes in Graiguenamanagh.

“It’s promised that works would start for 2027, 2028 but I suppose with Granny, we’re kind of saying at what cost do we have to wait for it.”

The €10 million project, which was approved last year, is not expected to be complete until at least 2030.

Breda had a hip replacement before Christmas and has been living downstairs, but it’s far from clear when she can return to the house she has called home for decades.

A government scheme providing emergency funding relief nationwide has been activated to cater to families affected by today’s floods.

However, the Bolger family wants to see the flood defences implemented as soon as possible.

“Granny doesn’t care about the money, she just wants her home to be the way it always has been,” Ava said.