25 November 2009
After 35 days of continuous rainfall and the worst flooding since records began Share Holiday Village – Lisnaskea is still open for business and has several groups visiting this week. Indeed staff are using alternative means of transport to ensure that the Centre stays open, providing a valuable service to able bodied and disabled visitors from across the Province in a wide range of water, arts and land based activity holidays.
Press Release
Date: 24th November 2009
Titles: Freak Fermanagh Floods Won’t Close our Doors!
After 35 days of continuous rainfall and the worst flooding since records began Share Holiday Village – Lisnaskea is still open for business and has several groups visiting this week. Indeed staff are using alternative means of transport to ensure that the Centre stays open, providing a valuable service to able bodied and disabled visitors from across the Province in a wide range of water, arts and land based activity holidays.
Unfortunately Share has been affected to some extent by the rising water levels with the closure of their swimming pool, leisure suite and gym complex. The building is very close to the lake and is now partially submerged by the record floods - with up to two feet of water in the building. Staff tried in vain to prevent the flood damage by puttying up the doors and using sand bags to prevent the water from getting in. A salvage effort is now underway as employees begin a removal process shifting all electrical gym equipment, boats and water craft to higher unaffected areas. The Leisure Suite and Gym will be closed until the New Year as it will now require a major overhaul, however the rest of the premises will remain open for business. This has a knock on effect as Oliver Wilkinson Share chief Executive suggests
“Within the leisure suite we have a function room which is used by Killadeas day care centre to provide an educational service for adults with learning difficulties. Unfortunately it too is under water and as part of it is used as an I.T. Facility the damage may be quite substantial. We have been able to offer them another area to use in the mean time to ensure disruptions are kept to a minimum.”
Most other staff had to find alternative means of transport into the centre as the Newbridge road has been closed which links Lisnaskea to Derrylin. This road is usually very busy as the trucks from Quinn’s Cement factory use this route. Although large vehicles can still pass through, a number of smaller vehicles that have braved the crossing have found themselves stranded or broken down.
The novelty of the situation has made travelling to work quite an enjoyable experience for most staff who park their cars in a lay-by don their boots and waterproofs and take whatever means of transport available. Several members of staff were transported by passing trucks, several in their own 4X4 vehicles and several were ferried in by Canoe; however this novelty is likely to wear off soon enough. Some local farmers have even been seen on jet skis and boats. The three schools visiting Share today would not be put off by the road closures and made a slightly extended journey via Enniskillen and Derrylin to Share.
In fact a watersports centre tends to thrive in situations like this as Rory martin Share’s marketing officer suggests;
“Many of our more experienced outdoor instructors are taking this opportunity to paddle in areas previously un-navigable by canoe. Share run an outdoor instructor trainee course each year and this years trainees made full use of the areas affected today by paddling into Lisnaskea on what is usually farmland and main roads! In fact a couple of staff had to paddle in to pick up the daily bread delivery from the local Spar as the delivery service was unavailable due to road closures.”
The weather forecast over the next couple of days seems to be for more rain, however it is unlikely that it will affect Share much more than it already has. Share is very much still open for business and many members of staff will be out honing their skills, paddling on the rivers while the water levels are so high, although Share do suggest that people using watercraft take extra care as many areas may be more dangerous than first perceived.
A number of the employees at Share are members of the local coastguard team who will be on alert as always to provide rescue services should the situation deteriorate. Share Holiday Village with 220 beds will also be able to provide a service to any person(s) in the local area that has been put out of their homes by the flood.
-Ends-
For more information on the ‘Fermanagh Floods’ and other outdoor activity packages please contact Rory – Share Marketing Officer on 028 6772 2122 or rory@sharevillage.org or visit www.sharevillage.org
Notes to Editors
- Share is a fully accessible charitable tourism facility.
- Share is open seven days a week, more information is available from our website www.sharevillage.org or to make an enquiry or a booking please contact celia@sharevillage.org
- Photo 1 attached is some Share Outdoor Instructors paddling to work by Canoe.
- Photo 2 attached is the flooding of the leisure suite and gym area
- Photo 3 attached is the waterfront area, showing the record flood levels
