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LAST UPDATE | 3 hrs ago
HOMES HAVE BEEN evacuated in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford after Storm Chandra subjected the town to what locals said was its worst flooding in a generation.
It left homes and businesses inundated with water, cars stranded, power cut and the town centre closed off after the River Slaney burst its banks after heavy rain on Monday night and into Tuesday.
Other parts of the country – elsewhere in Wexford, along with parts of Co Wicklow and South Dublin – have also been badly hit by flooding.
In its latest update last night the National Emergency Co-ordination Group warned that the risk of flooding around the country will remain throughout today and into tomorrow as further rain falls on already sodden ground.
There’ll be some respite from the rain today for much of the country. Met Éireann’s latest forecast predicts some prolonged showers across Munster but lighter spells of rain and even sunny spells elsewhere.
However heavy showers across the West tonight are likely to exascerbate any local flooding, and another band of rain is set to move across the country tomorrow.
“With ground conditions still near saturated localised flooding is possible,” this morning’s forecast warns.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, National Director for Fire and Emergency Management Keith Leonard said the areas worst affected by the flooding included Aughrim in Co Wicklow; Nutgrove, Sandyford and Firhouse in Dublin and Bunclody and Enniscorthy in Wexford.
He said public transport was now back in operation in most areas but that some smaller roads were still impacted by flooding. Irish Rail has confirmed that the Bray to Rosslare service is still off, with bus transfers in place.
Update:
— Iarnród Éireann (@IrishRail) January 27, 2026
Wednesday 28th January 2026
Bus transfers to remain in place until further notice:
Rosslare services - Bus transfers Bray to Rosslare
Belfast/Enterprise services - Bus transfers Newry to Belfast
All other routes will have a full schedule of services.#StormChandra
-CL pic.twitter.com/kZ02FeXu0s
Leonard said several people had had to be resued from cars yesterday and called on drivers to respect the directions of local officials and not to try and drive down roads where there’s clear signage saying they’ve been closed.
Asked why higher levels of warning weren’t issued to affected areas, Leonard said that all local authorities across the east of the country had been issued a high and elevated risk warning for flooding by Met Éireann on Monday.
“But unfortunately, and again, particularly I think South Dublin caught us a little bit by surprise. We, we just weren’t expecting those levels of rainfall.”
Leonard said Met Éireann was continuing work on a new flood warning system that would give more localised advisories, but that the project had not yet been completed.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne – whose department is responsible for managing extreme weather events – urged anyone travelling to check local councils’ websites and social media channels for information on road closures, flooding updates and community alerts.
The Fianna Fáil minister added that the government will continue to monitor the impact of the storm and respond appropriately.
“This includes providing any humanitarian assistance to people and communities bearing the brunt of the impact of these floods,” he said.
“I am closely monitoring the situation and will ensure that everything that needs to be done will be done.”
The Department of Social Protection has announced that the Emergency Response Payment (formerly the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme) is now available to provide support to those living in properties directly affected by the storm.
It’s been announced the Community Flooding Support Scheme – which supports business, community and voluntary organisations affected by flooding who cannot obtain flood insurance – will also be activated where needed.
Local Enniscorthy councillor Jackser Owens told The Journal that a young family with a newborn baby had to be rescued from their flooded apartment amid the chaos yesterday morning.
Six men and a boat from Slaney Search and Rescue managed to rescue the young couple and child’s grandmother.
“The lady rang me saying that her family were trapped in an apartment on the quay,” the Independent politician said, “I rang Slaney Search and Rescue and we had to get her out in a boat. It was chaos but they got them out safely.”
Owens added that the family were in fear for their safety due to the rising water levels.
“They were terrified but fair play to Search and Rescue volunteers, they did a fantastic job.”
Owens described how locals were living in a “nightmare”.
“I’ve never seen anything like this and I’m 71,” the councillor said.
“These people are going through crisis today. You’ve people moving stuff upstairs because they’ve been flooded so many times.”
Fine Gael Senator Cathal Byrne said yesterday that all of the town’s worst fears “have come true”.
He said there are about 350 houses directly impacted, together with the main thoroughfare of local businesses in the town.
There have been nine major floods in Enniscorthy since 2000.
In that year, a flood relief scheme was proposed for the town. There was €55m allocated to the project after further flooding in 2014, Byrne said.
“But unfortunately, despite having no local objectors, and despite having cross-party support politically, locally, it hasn’t been possible to get planning permission,” Byrne said.
There was a planning application made to the government in 2021, but this was rejected on the basis that the protected freshwater pearl mussel was present in the water.
“Therefore the water couldn’t be touched as regards dredging,” Byrne said.
“People are frustrated. They’re fed up. They don’t understand how a scheme that has €55m allocated to it cannot get planning permission, and we really need to see legislative change in this area.”
Owens, the local councillor, told The Journal that “human beings are more important” than the freshwater pearl and urged the enaction of the scheme without any further delay. “People can’t get insurance for flood coverage,” Owens said.
He added that, following earlier flood events in 2000 and 2018, residents were told that “devastating” scenes such as yesterday’s would never be repeated.
“This should never have happened. We had plans for a flood defence relief scheme and it has not enacted,” Owens said.
Official data from the Office of Public Works shows that the Slaney has almost equalled its record high water level of almost 4.7 metres, which it hit during the notorious 2000 flooding.
Labour TD for Wexford George Lawlor estimated that it’s the 16th time since 2001 that the town was flooded, which he said should “shame” the Government.
Lawlor added that communities like Enniscorthy are “paying the price” for inaction on flood schemes.
Successive Governments have failed to deliver the flood protection works Enniscorthy desperately needs. As our climate changes, storms and extreme rainfall are becoming more frequent and more severe. Pretending this is business as usual is reckless.
The deputy added that an “overhaul” is needed for emergency preparedness, including a national flood warning system so families and businesses get timely and reliable information.
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