Homes and farmland in the west of Ireland town of Clifden in Co Galway were devastated by unprecedented floods on Wednesday morning 2 September.

All farmland adjoining the Owenglen River was severely flooded. However, local farmers said most of the animals were removed from the land before the flooding.

Gardaí, fire service personnel and RNLI volunteers were on hand to evacuate locals from their homes in the Riverside area of the town.

The Owenglen River, which runs through the bottom of the town, burst its banks. Families were also evacuated from Clifden Glen on the outskirts of the town.

The river runs alongside the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society show grounds, home to the annual international Connemara Pony Festival every August, which was completely under water at 9am Wednesday morning.

Farmland flooded

The local schools Scoil Mhuire and Clifden Community School were closed in the late morning due to road closures. The bridge at Riverside, which is the oldest in Clifden, closed for cars as authorities assess its safety.

Floods have since receded, but roadways and driveways have been destroyed. A status yellow rainfall warning remained in place for Connacht until 9pm on Wednesday night.

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