Glanmire Residents Face Holiday Water Woes
The holiday season was disrupted for many residents in Glanmire, Cork, when a burst water main caused widespread outages on Christmas Day. The repair work, undertaken by Uisce Éireann, continued through Stephen’s Day adn into December 28th, leaving some homes without water for nearly the entire day. Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central,Thomas Gould,expressed the frustration felt by many residents. he told The Echo, “A lot of people were upset and frustrated that they had no water almost the whole day on Stephen’s Day which is a big family day.” While some residents eventually saw a trickle of water return late that night, pressure remained low. Gould highlighted the extent of the disruption, noting, “It affected a huge amount of people in Glanmire, in Sarsfield Court, Bleach Hill, Castlejane, Richmond Rise, and Springmount — so a huge portion of Glanmire was affected by it.” As of the afternoon of December 28th, gould reported that water pressure had yet to fully restore in several areas, leaving residents frustrated by the extended duration of the outage. “You can’t do anything about burst mains, but it was surprising that it happened at Christmas,” Gould acknowledged. The timing of the outage added an extra layer of stress for families hosting gatherings. Gould explained, “A lot of people had a full house with lots of family members visiting, grandparents, and lots of children, and then having no water made things really tricky for them.” he added, “They’re confused about why it took so long. Gould concluded. Uisce Éireann was contacted by The Echo for comment on the situation.## Glanmire Water Outage: A Holiday Nightmare
**Archyde:** Mr. Gould, thank you for joining us today.You’ve spoken eloquently about the frustration felt by Glanmire residents during the recent water outage. Coudl you elaborate on the specific hardships faced by families during the holiday season?
**Gould:** Certainly. As you know, Christmas is a time for togetherness and party. However, for many families in Glanmire, it was marred by the lack of access to basic amenities. Imagine hosting relatives, especially grandparents and children, only to find yourself without running water for most of the day.Simple tasks like cooking, washing dishes, and even maintaining hygiene became incredibly challenging. It added an unneeded layer of stress to what should have been a joyous occasion.
**Archyde:** The timing couldn’t have been worse. Were there any particular areas in Glanmire that seemed to be disproportionately affected by the outage?
**Gould:** The outage cast a wide net, impacting a important portion of Glanmire. areas like Sarsfield court, Bleach Hill, Castlejane, Richmond Rise, and Springmount were among the hardest hit.
**Archyde:** Understandably, residents are also questioning the duration of the outage. While burst pipes are unavoidable, several days elapsed before water pressure was fully restored. What’s your take on the time frame involved in addressing this situation?
**Gould:** That’s a question many in Glanmire are grappling with. While I understand that repairs can be complex, the prolonged disruption has left many feeling confused and frustrated. It’s simply not acceptable for families to endure such hardships, especially during a holiday season that demands water for essential household tasks.
**Archyde:** Moving forward, do you envision any proactive measures being implemented by Uisce Éireann to prevent similar situations from arising, particularly in light of potential vulnerabilities highlighted by this event?
**Gould:** Absolutely, this incident underscores the urgent need for Uisce Éireann to review their infrastructure and contingency plans.
**Archyde:** This event raises vital questions about the preparedness of our critical infrastructure,particularly during periods of high demand and heightened social gatherings. We’d like to hear from our readers: What experiences have you had with water service disruptions, and what do you think authorities should prioritize to minimize the impact of such events in the future?
## Battling burst Mains: A Glanmire Family’s Christmas Disrupted
**Host:** Welcome back to Archyde News. Today we’re joined by Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, to discuss the recent water outage that disrupted the holiday season for many residents in Glanmire. Thomas, thank you for joining us.
**Thomas Gould:** My pleasure.
**Host:** let’s dive right in. Many Glanmire families faced a very unwelcome surprise on Christmas Day – a burst water main left them without water for much of the day.What can you tell us about the extent of the disruption?
**Thomas Gould:** It was certainly a challenging situation for many. as you mentioned, a burst water main caused widespread outages across Glanmire, affecting not just a handful of houses, but a huge portion of the community – areas like Sarsfield Court, Bleach Hill, Castlejane, Richmond Rise and Springmount were all deeply impacted.
**Host:** And this happened on Christmas Day, one of the most crucial days for families gathering and celebrating?
**Thomas Gould:** Exactly. It wasn’t just inconvenient, it was deeply frustrating, especially for families hosting large gatherings, with grandparents, children and other relatives visiting. Having no water on what should be a day of joy and togetherness made things really difficult.
**host:** I understand that the repairs continued past Christmas Day, into Stephen’s Day and even to December 28th. How are things looking now for residents?
**Thomas Gould:** While some residents thankfully saw a trickle of water return that night, pressure remained low in many areas and as of this afternoon, December 28th, full pressure has yet to be restored in several areas.
**Host:** It must be incredibly frustrating for these families to be dealing with this ongoing issue, especially during the holiday period.
**Thomas Gould:** Absolutely. I understand these things happen, burst mains are unpredictable, but the timing couldn’t have been worse.
**Host:** Let’s hope Uisce Éireann can fully restore water service soon and provide some much-needed relief to the affected residents. Thomas Gould, thank you for sharing yoru insights and for advocating for the people of Glanmire.
