Taking the riverside embankment concerns in isolation, the optics are frightening.

• Parochial Field in Clonmany Village has historically been a flood plain.
   
• Clonmany Village was hit by devastating flooding in August 2017.
  
• Inishowen flooding: 'Miracle' escapes on a peninsula devastated - Donegal Daily
  
• Night of the Big Flood - Inishowen - 22nd Aug 2017 (youtube.com)
  
 
• The Government (Irish Tax Payers) provides humanitarian aid and other supports to the area.
  
• Inishowen Flooding: Families availing of humanitarian aid figures released - Donegal Daily
  
• Soldiers to assist in Donegal clean-up operation following floods - RTÉ
  
 
• Range of Fundraising Events to provide humanitarian aid for the Inishowen Flood victims
  
• Flood Aid for Inishowen raises over €30,000 - Donegal Daily
  
• Homes Of Donegal Fundraiser | Facebook
  
• Inishowen flood relief campaigner honoured with Person of the Year Award - Highland Radio
  
 
• Donegal County Council team receive Special Recognition Award for their response to the major flood event in Inishowen in August 2017, at the 2019 Community and Council Awards in Croke Park.
  
  • Special Recognition Award for Councils response to Inishowen Floods
    
   
• Clonmany Shamrocks FC abandon their proposed football pitch development, directly across the river from the location of the riverside embankment, in light of the 2107 floods.
  
 
• Inishowen Rivers Trust in conjunction with local farmers, implement ‘Slow the Flow’ Leaky Dams initiative in attempting to alleviate and slow down the flooding down-stream in Clonmany Village and parish. Initiative is funded by
  
• EU Leader Programme
  
• Office of Public Works
  
• Donegal County Council
  
• Local Authority Waters Programme
  
 
• Riverside embankment built in Parochial Field (owned by Local Community Charitable Group, Clonmany Enterprise Development Ltd), potentially having future flooding implications in various areas of Clonmany Village.
  
  • Potential increased flow velocity of floodwater
  • Potentially leading to additional debris build up at the Big Bridge bottleneck
    
  • Potentially leading to increased erosion of the embankment and the riverbank
    
  • Potential amplified flooding of 4 defined areas as defined below.
    
   
• Community group lodge planning application to develop Parochial Field in Clonmany Village.
   
• OPW FloodInfo.ie website shows that the Parochial Field is no longer a flood plain.
   
• Riverside embankment discovered, reported and multiple flooding concerns listed to Donegal County Council Planning Department via planning submission/objection.
  
• Potential amplified flooding affecting Elderly Residents
  
• Potential amplified flooding affecting Riverside Park (50+ Defective Blocks Homes)
  
• Potential amplified flooding affecting Shamrock Park and Clonmany Community Centre
  
• Potential amplified flooding affecting Clonmany Wastewater Treatment Plant
  
 
• Riverside embankment enlarged during the planning application process, adding to the potential amplified flooding and increased flow velocity of floodwater.
   
• On-site ESB Networks development during the planning process that potentially impacts both proposed Kids Play Park and increases risk of Anti-Social Behaviour.
   
• Donegal County Council Planning Department request that the proposed shed in the planning application be moved as it is in a flood zone.
  
  • OPW FloodInfo.ie Maps shows original location of shed is not in a flood zone
    
   
• Donegal County Council Planning Department informed of on-site developments including the enlargement of the riverside embankment via telephone call.
   
• Donegal County Council Planning Department approves planning application.
   
• Donegal County Council Planning Department ‘Planner’s Report and Recommendation’ document shows parts of the Parochial Field in a flood zone.
   
• 2018 Office of Public Works - North Western Flood Risk Management Plan report
   
  • Highlights the risk of flooding in Clonmany Village of residential properties, business properties, a Community Centre and the Clonmany Waste Water Treatment Works.
  • Clonmany AFA has been assigned as a low/no risk AFA ( Page 13 )
  • Clonmany has not been analysed for historical flooding ( Page 23 & 24 )
  • 25 of 26 Donegal AFAs have been historically analysed for flooding
  • Non-existent Hydrometric Gauges data affected this decision yet the 'Ballynahallan River' is a 'significant flood risk' ( Page 76 )
   
• A subsequent non-exhaustive analysis of Clonmany Historical Flooding reveals evidence of
 
• multiple Cloudbursts
• multiple Bursting of Riverbanks
• multiple Landslides
• Clonmany Community Centre flooding
• Clonmany Wastewater Treatment Plant flooding
• Clonmany Shamrocks FC facilities flooding
• multiple House and Business flooding
• Riverside Park Estate flooding ( Defective Blocks )
• Big Bridge partial destruction (2017) & four bridges swept away (1945)
• Glenevin Walk destruction
• livestock fatalities
• 'narrow escapes' & near fatalities
• “it’s a miracle that nobody drowned” Mickey Devlin (2:40)
• the unfortunate fatality of a young boy swept away in a historical flood
 
• Donegal County Council County Development Plan 2024-2030, Final Strategic Flood Risk Assessment report
   
  • 1 in 100 years, 1 in 200 years and 1 in 1000 years flooding events in Clonmany.
  • The Clonmany Historical Flooding section would suggest otherwise.

This series of events is shocking to say the least. Unfortunately, given the extreme rainfall associated with Climate Change in the last few years, it could happen at any time. Prolonged extreme rainfall coinciding with high tide and/or with substantial storm surge could once again have devastating effects for the 4 areas highlighted for potential amplified flooding. MET Éireann’s Translate Climate Projections as broadcast by RTÉ Weather during Science Week 2024 highlight INTENSE RAINFALL EVENTS are on the increase throughout the year. Storm Bert (23/11/2024) has emphasized the potential lethal combination of torrential rain and melting snow.

The ‘Night of the Big Flood’ video eyewitness evidence from the 2017 flood, historical accounts of flooding in Clonmany parish, a changing weather pattern observation (RTE CountryWide - Clonmany Farmer) and an Office of Public Works Flood Risk Analysis, highlight the potential increased dangers introduced to the village and it’s residents by the building of this riverside embankment at the bottom of the Parochial Field.

The granting of the planning application which appears to have duly disregarded the flooding concerns raised, does not correlate with Donegal County Council’s exceptional response to both the 2017 flood (Special Recognition Award) and subsequent involvement and partial funding of the Inishowen Rivers Trust Leaky Dam initiative. The granting of this planning permission does not follow a long-term strategy for the parish and particularly the village and it’s residents on multiple accounts (Flooding, Environmental, Anti-Social Behaviour etc..). Time and time again, lack of a long-term strategy has proven costly to the Irish Tax Payer.

The (Oct/Nov 2024) recent violent floods and fatalities in Valencia, Central Eastern Spain and Malaga are a warning that we should not ignore. A comprehensive and joined up plan of action regarding flood risk in Clonmany which include development guidelines is urgently required. The State and its bodies via the implied ‘Social Contract’, need to provide due care to and protection for the residents of Clonmany.

The County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030 includes the following as one of the "three regional pillars of growth that are reflected in the objectives and policies of the Plan" (Vision and Ambition - Page 6)

What will the "Social and Community Cohesion and Wellbeing" be in Clonmany, after the next devastating flood, if this riverside embankment remains in place?