PresidentÕs pre-Christmas visit expresses solidarity with GalwayÕs flooding victims

President Mary McAleese last week paid her own personal tribute to the heroes of County Galway’s flood rescue operation when she came to Claregalway, Gort and Ballinasloe in a two day visit to areas stricken by what she described as “the sheer capriciousness and volatility of nature.”

Addresing victims of flooding, mostly from the Claregalway-Carnmore area, in Claregalway Community Centre President McAleese spoke of the overwhelming torrent of nature that changed people’s lives. It created a crisis in farming, business and in particular families who lost their homes. Jobs were lost as a result just overnight, but among all the tragedy came an unseen body of people as a Meitheal of support came from communities.

A Meitheal of care and concern from people to help people they knew and people they didn’t know and that along with huge volume of support from the Local Authorities, Gardai, Army, Civil Defence and so many other voluntary agencies that were all there to offer help and support. President McAleese said that one of the biggest difficulties that she had found was people were too shy to ask for help. The President urged the people affected by the flooding, not to be shy to ask for help.

“There is a continued Meitheal of support of goodness and desire to help, but please ask for help,” the President told the victims.

Afterwards the local community made a presentation to President McAleese, who then went on to speak personally to many of the affected families. Later, in Ballinasloe’s Emerald Ballroom she met many of those who had given so freely and unselfishly during the rescue operation which followed the river Suck bursting its banks, telling her audience that they were “the hand and heart of hope” who had lifted all our spirits.

She also took time to personally meet and talk with many householders and business people who suffered directly as a result of the November floods.

The President was met on her arrived in Ballinasloe by Town Manager Kevin Kelly who reminded her that the response to the unfolding event in the town was a combined effort from many statutory and voluntary organisations which included the Town and County Councils, Gardai, Civil Defence, HSE, OPW, the Red Cross, Armed and Fire Services, and St. Vincent de Paul, all of whom were supported by a significant number of local volunteers who continued to still give freely of their time.

While anyone strolling around the Christmas market in St. Michael’s Square last Sunday afternoon might assume that the town had returned to normal, the reality was that it would be some time before families and business people who had been flooded would be able to return to any degree of normality. It was a theme which President McAleese returned to in her warmly received address, emphasising how important it was for people to know that the spirit of meitheal that had so lifted flood victims, would continue into the weeks ahead as coverage disappeared from newspapers and from our television screens.

“If anyone deserves a good Christmas it is you bunch of people. God knows you have endured so much on the run-up to Christmas. This is not the Christmas you planned, but it was sent in front of you and it was an awful mountain to climb. You have made it climbable by your efforts,” she added.

Accompanied by her husband, Martin, the President looked forward to “seeing the back of 2009 and its many adversities”, when the people who were flooded out would return to their homes and have their homes returned to them.

She said that while the “acute crisis” had now passed, the flood was still a reality which had to be dealt with day in and day out by those that had to be evacuated from their homes and had businesses damaged.

The President went on to talk about the generous, spontaneous and rapid community response which the crisis had provoked as people joined forces to combat a problem that was larger than any one individual or agency could tackle on their own. Those who had worked for the various agencies had “torn up their job descriptions” to work every hour and give of their best because they cared so much about their people and could see the psychological harm and damage unfolding in their lives. She said people really were “heroic” and everybody had a particular story to tell of neighbour helping neighbour.

Her visit to County Galway was an opportunity for her to express her solidarity with those whose homes, farms and businesses were damaged in the flooding and to thank all those involved in the emergency and recovery operations.

“For you this has been and remains a dreadful trial, but the evidence I see here today of community spirit and joint effort will ensure that this too will pass,” she added.