Storm Chandra wreaks havoc... High water table flood popular Meath restaurant

Louise Walsh

A Meath restaurant owner said she thought sandbags had protected her eatery from Storm Chandra floods until the water started seeping up through the floors inside.

Ciara Burke has had to shutter her popular Sage & Stone restaurant in Duleek until dehumidifiers can dry the cement floors, which she says are 100 per cent moisture saturated.

She says that is the first time in over 50 years that she has seen flood waters rise as far as her premises which lie across the road from the local river Nanny.

"I walked into the business on Wednesday with my wellies on because the carpark was like a lake and there was a river coming down into it from the road," she said.

"I ran to get sandbags from the council for the doors to the restaurant and thought at least that would be protected but just hours later, we saw that the water started seeping up through the floors, through the walls and backing up the drains."

Ciara contacted her insurance company and employed an independent assessor in the hope she can be open again as soon as possible.

"I have dehumidifiers running to beat the band because the cement floors are 100% moisture saturated. I've worked hard to mitigate my losses and get going again and I have painters and a flooring company booked in the hope I'll be open again on February 7th.

"The water table is so high. And if you have a huge amount of rain and if the tide comes in, the Nanny river gets higher and has nowhere to go. But this is the first time in over 50 years of living here that I've seen this happen."

She has managed to keep her gift shop and takeaway service open but plans to honor the Brigids in the county have been scuppered somewhat.

"There are not too many Brigids around anymore so I had planned to give a free lunch to anyone who presented with their passport to celebrate St Brigid's Day. Those plans have gone by the wayside but I am hoping to do similar with free take aways and sandwiches around the takeaway for any Brigid with identification."

Ciara said the flooding just added to challenges facing her business, like all restaurant businesses in recent years.

"You just have to have a positive head on you the whole time and keep at it because otherwise, I'd lie down and cry. That's the joys of being in business. Sometimes, I think it would be easier to get a job at the checkouts somewhere and spend the day saying hello to people!."