Storm water drains are to be lifted to suit adjoining run-off pipes; public lighting is to be over-hauled; the footpaths are to be upgraded and any other business at Cahereen Heights is to be cleared up on the orders of Liberty Insurance top brass.
The Top Brass in this case goes all the way to the USA – where Joe Mag Raollaigh’s RTE 1 TV news report was picked up on by CNN and other channels.
“The head man in Liberty Insurance in America saw the clip and prompted immediate action on the problems in the Cahereen Heights estate here. He ordered that work in making good the faults on the estate should not wait until after Christmas,” said local campaigner and resident, Charlie Farrelly.
The estate came to national attention on Saturday, November 22nd when a hole, deep, long and wide enough to hide an articulated truck in, appeared in the green / play area between the houses and the main road at about 9am
that morning.
Local experts looked into it and called it a sink-hole and it kind-of stuck. National media outlets latched onto the sink-hole notion and it sounded great.
However, it was anything but. It was caused by a number of factors which have come to light since. A far-too-light, concrete roof on the full-to-capacity storm-water tanks gave way to the overpowering weight of the tons of earth they had been buried under. Inadequate outflow from the tanks also saturated the earth and something had to give.
On Monday morning, the Longford / Westmeath based firm of Duffy’s Contractors moved in with their heavy machinery. They broke down the remaining tank covers and filled them with limestone hardcore and thereby eliminating any future possibility of a collapse there.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of campaigns in my time but it’s great to get this one over the line. There is a great sense of relief now that the works has begun here. Fair play to Liberty Insurance, fair play to Kerry County Council and all involved in the joint effort in getting the project this far. In fairness to ‘The Councillor’ (Bobby O’Connell) we don’t always see eye-to-eye on things – but he has worked hard on this issue over the past two years or so.
The collapse or the Hole-in-the-Ground concentrated minds on all the problems in the estate and now we’re looking forward to having all the work completed by Easter,” said a delighted Charlie.
