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WORK HAS BEGUN to a home in Inchicore which is at risk of collapse into the River Camac.
The property on Tyrconnell Street is owned by Ellen Blehein and her husband Robert, and the garden has already fallen into the river after the collapse of the river wall.
. @kodonnellLK @DubCityCouncil @Paschald @opwireland The Camac River wall has collapsed in Inchicore and caused catastrophic damage to my home. DCC and the OPW must repair the river wall before our home is washed away. Please contact me urgently. pic.twitter.com/yLGRLlzNzu
— Ellen Blehein (@mikeshapellen) January 5, 2025
They moved into the home in April 2021 but soon afterwards, cracks began to appear in the walls and the couple said they were advised by an engineer that the house was subsiding.
Two engineers had surveyed the home before the couple bought it, but signs of subsidence were not caught.
Last week, part of the Camac river wall collapsed and this caused the property’s garden to collapse into the riverbed.
The couple have had to leave the property as a result.
In an email to Dublin City Council (DCC), the couple said the Council had stated that it was the homeowners responsibility to maintain the river walls.
“But regardless of where responsibility lies, the DCC has a duty of care to ensure the integrity of river flood defences, protection of local property and, most importantly, the public safety of local residents,” added the email.
Ellen Blehein today said that she is “delighted to know works have begun to prop up our home”.
Delighted to knows works have begun to prop up our home @DubCityCouncil @opwireland pic.twitter.com/DgbdZwZcp7
— Ellen Blehein (@mikeshapellen) January 10, 2025
A GoFundMe page has been set up as the couple are unsure if their insurance will provide any support.
Ellen thanked “everyone who offered their support and helped us get the word out” and added: “Not over yet but can breathe again knowing it’s moving”.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Councillor Ciarán Ó Meachair will table an emergency motion on the issue at the next meeting of Dublin City Council South Central Area Committee on Wednesday.
The emergency motion welcomes the speed of the response so far, but also calls for the issue to be treated “with the utmost priority”.
It also calls on Dublin City Council engineers to “work proactively alongside colleagues in the OPW to ensure necessary works are completed within an agreed timeframe”.
Ó Meachair, who represents the Inchicore area, said there are further concerns that without urgent work from Dublin City Council, it could affect additional homes in the area.
Ó Meachair described the situation facing the couple as “absolutely horrendous” and added that there is “fear and confusion in the local area”, with others contacting him “fearing that their home is now under threat”.
“I am calling on Dublin City Council to continue to engage with the family as a matter of urgency,” said Ó Meachair.
“I am encouraging all local councillors to support my motion and to work together to ensure this home is protected from any further damage. We need a plan and we need it now.”
Ó Meachair said he has seen the damage firsthand and that it’s “shocking something like this, which I understand was flagged as a problem years ago, went unaddressed”.
“The council invested in flood alleviation works at a number of rivers around the city, but this is simply not enough,” added the Sinn Féin councillor.
“We now urgently need a proper investment at the Camac River to recover this home from destruction and to save neighbouring homes also.”
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So engineers didn’t spot any potential problems a few years ago yet the councillor says it has been flagged for a long time. Something doesn’t add up there.
I wouldn’t wish it on anyone but I wonder if it was one of Inchicore’s traditional residents rather than a social media savvy hipster, would the issue have been addressed as quickly…
@Brian what are you talking about
@kevin rock: Pretty simple: known subsidence area. I wouldn’t have bought that house with your money. Subsides when Camac isn’t even in flood and owner reacts like this is huge surprise and remedial works covered. I wonder how people looking for redress over pyrite feel about that. Often it’s those who shout the loudest and at the right people that get sorted first.
@Enoch Kochwomble: The people who have lived here for generations before the gentrification of the last 15 years.
@Brian M: my tax money better not be used to fix this
@Enoch Kochwomble:
There all in the Joy
@Brian M: you ok? Strange reaction to someone getting their home sorted. Hipster, local…who cares? Nobody deserves to have their house collapse.
@Tom Devlin: Couldn’t agree more. But the dogs on Tyrconnell Street could have told them subsidence was very likely when they bought that house. Their back garden literally hangs over the Camac. Caveat emptor. I looked at a property very close to it about 12 years ago and I didn’t need my engineer to tell me to run a mile. Looks like they did nothing themselves to mitigate dangers and have done very well to have the issues addressed so quickly and a GoFund me page set up too. I am sure there are many people up and down the country dealing with issues like subsidence, Pyrite etc wondering what they need to do to get similar help. Looks like a strong social media presence is a good start.
@Brian M: well neither theirs nor the bank’s engineers warned against buying it
It all goes back to whoever the engineers were that found no issue with the house when the owners moved in. They likely didn’t do their job properly.
If you live by a river, surely every summer when the river is low, you get professionals to see if there is any erosion of the bank or the possibility of subsidence of the bank!
That makes sense.
@Gary Kearney: The river is largely culverted in Dublin
Get it fixed OPW. You had no problem with the bike shed.
A great outcome..its been a nightmare for that couple..
Well done and best of luck to you both – and the workers doing an excellent job
How can a homeowner be responsible for a river wall. Surely that’s the responsibility of the council or OPW.
The insurance crowd will try to run a mile from this, they’ll make it as difficult as possible.
@Joe Beirne: that’s what we do, make everything as hard as it can be, its the the Irish way… good honest character building cr@pness
@Joe Beirne: I hope they make their insurance response as public as the rest of this. I’d love to know what they’re saying.
What has to be done (paid for) by their insurance or that GoFundMe budget?
The people at Dublin City Council need to be publicly named here, everyone is out in front of this except them, maybe names in papers marks as some kind of accountability and focuses some scrutiny on what they actually do or dont do.
@Thesaltyurchin: name the 2 engineers that surveyed the house as ok to buy,it wasn’t Dublin City Council that sold them the house so why would they any of their staff need their names published.
@Tosh Moher: Thats fair, yes name the engineers, complete transparency.
@Tosh Moher: Because some people think naming people who are doing their job is cool!
As it happens the are agents of DCC and cannot be named, legally!
@Gary Kearney: I misread the room.. everything is fine, question nothing.
@Thesaltyurchin: stupid comment.
@Chin: Why? Good journalism should be exposing all the details imo.
In the 1990′s a number of gardens along Lower Kimmage Road just before Harold’s Cross Park collapsed into the River Poddle. The gardens were eventually reinstated, I think by the OPW, but I’m not sure.
Dublin has over a dozen significant rivers and streams, many of which are underground. The exact count depends on the inclusion of minor tributaries and historical watercourses, but the main rivers number about 10–15 when considering partially and fully culverted (underground) waterways
@Thesaltyurchin: issue could affect anybody who lives near water.
@Pat Redmond: Yup
This reminds me of the houses that the walls were cracking and nobody wanted to know. It’s not the house owners fault .They didn’t build the river wall.
@Ann Nugent: Caveat emptor
Was only telling family about this earlier and the stress it must cause. Delighted they’re getting it seen to in some shape or form.
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