{"id":660937,"date":"2026-08-28T12:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T12:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/660937\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T12:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T12:39:09","slug":"killarney-clean-up-begins-after-30mm-rainfall-in-hour-and-unprecedented-flash-flooding-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/660937\/","title":{"rendered":"Killarney clean-up begins after 30mm rainfall in hour and \u2018unprecedented\u2019 flash flooding \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

A clean-up has begun in Killarney<\/a>, Co Kerry<\/a>, this morning after \u201cunprecedented\u201d flash flooding<\/a> overwhelmed much of the town and its surroundings. <\/p>\n

The heavy downpours led to the closure of all main roads in and around Killarney. A number of vehicles that became stuck had to be removed by the fire service.<\/p>\n

Heavy rain began around 5pm but the worst of the downpour occurred between 7pm and 8pm with about 30mm recorded at Muckross House weather station outside the town. It recorded a total of 57mm in under four hours, akin to a red level alert.<\/p>\n

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\u26a0\ufe0f FLOODING IN KILLARNEY: Park Road and Countess Road in Killarney are impassable and should be avoided owing to significant flash flooding \u26a0\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/NT7M73rpQt<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Kerry County Council – Comhairle Contae Chiarra\u00ed (@countykerry) August 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The N71 Muckross Road, the main tourist road to Killarney National Park, was flooded, as was the N22 Cork-to-Killarney Road at Pike Hill. <\/p>\n

Homes in New Street as well as domestic garages and houses in the village of Fossa outside Killarney were affected with water chutes and downpipes overwhelmed. <\/p>\n

The fire service and garda\u00ed worked to clear the roads of traffic while the Civil Defence was called in to deliver sandbags. <\/p>\n

Water was pumped from a number of areas including the railway bridge on the Park Road and Woodlawn Cross. <\/p>\n

The mayor of Killarney, Cllr John O\u2019Donoghue, described it as the worst flooding in a lifetime. <\/p>\n

\u201cKillarney got lashed with rain,\u201d he said, noting that other parts of the county remained dry. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole town was submerged under water to a great extent,\u201d O\u2019Donoghue of the Kerry Independent Alliance said.<\/p>\n

Speaking on RT\u00c9\u2019s David McCullagh show, he said some people had to abandon their cars after they drove into water not realising how deep it was. He also said he received calls last night from \u201cquite upset elderly people saying that \u2018there\u2019s water flowing in my door, I\u2019ve never seen it before and I\u2019ve lived here all my life, what can I do\u2019, so very, very scary times.\u201d<\/p>\n

The county was not under a weather warning and the area is not typically prone to flooding. O\u2019Donoghue said the ground was \u201cso hard\u201d given the recent dry spell that there was no soakage and so it flowed out into the streets and roads. <\/p>\n

Paul Neary, director of services with Kerry County Council, said: \u201cWe had no indication. There was nothing to indicate this was coming. Effectively the skies opened.\u201d <\/p>\n

The town\u2019s drainage system was overwhelmed in places. Leaves and twigs that had built up over the dry summer were washed down and caused blockages.<\/p>\n

However, council crews managed to clear the system and as soon as the rainfall stopped, the drainage system worked, he said. <\/p>\n

A full assessment was being carried out this morning, Neary said and lessons would be taken on board.<\/p>\n

High Street business owner Johnny McGuire said he experienced an \u201capocalyptic storm\u201d and he was assessing roof damage. <\/p>\n

McGuire of Bric\u00edn restaurant and craft shop paid tribute to the \u201cfantastic emergency services\u201d for their response.<\/p>\n

He said the dry summer had left the ground extremely hard. Killarney was situated in a hollow and neither \u201cGod nor man could have stopped it [the flooding]\u201d.<\/p>\n

In a statement this morning, Kerry County Council said the town\u2019s swimming pool and sports centre near the Park Road, one of the worst affected areas, would remain closed until further notice as an assessment was required. <\/p>\n

It said it would continues to liaise with properties impacted by the flooding and will provide any assistance required.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile in Dublin, some areas of the capital were flooded on Thursday night, including parts of Cabra in Dublin 7. Footage posted on X showed flooding on Offaly Road, next to Christ the King Boys National School and church. Local Green Party councillor Feljin Jose said the water in Cabra had receded on Friday morning.<\/p>\n

Many of the drains in the area date from the 1930s, he said, and \u201ccannot cope with the amount of water\u201d during periods of heavy rainfall, he said. <\/p>\n

He also said that much of the greenery in Cabra has been tarmacked over and \u201c2ith more and more extreme weather events on the horizon, we need places for the water to soak and drain naturally into the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Friday, the council said that rainfall monitoring stations in the city recorded up to 28mm of rain in a single hour, while more than 54mm fell within three hours at Arbour Hill in Dublin 7, \u201crepresenting an event of a scale rarely experienced in Dublin in recent years\u201d.<\/p>\n

It said a number of locations were impacted by surface water flooding, including parts of Cabra, the North Circular Road, Glasnevin, Parkgate Street and Chapelizod. <\/p>\n

Dublin City Council said the majority of reported incidents were addressed overnight, with follow-up inspections and assessments continuing today.<\/p>\n