A man runs from waves crashing onto the East pier in Howth, Dublin. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Huge waves batter the seafront in Lahinch, Co Clare, yesterday. Press 22

Flooding at Fr Matthew Quay, Cork as the River Lee overflows her banks in Cork City last night. Photo: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision

Ballinrobe field under water. Photo: Adrian Dervin, sent in to contact@independent.ie

The River Moy in Ballina, Co. Mayo. Photo: Edith Gardiner, sent in to contact@independent.ie

A flooded Sharman Crawford Street, Cork city after the River Lee broke its banks. Photo: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Cork at 06.30 high tide this morning... water level has now fallen. Photo: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision

The scenes of devastation at Lahinch promenade, where massive walls and quarter tonne wall cappings were tossed across the carpark during the storm. Photo: Press 22

Two vans lie in several feet of water in the promenade carpark at Lahinch in Co Clare. Photo: Press 22

Gardi from Salthill helping fire crews to clear the damage in Salthill Park, Galway. Picture: Hany Marzouk

A Life guard station in Salthill, Galway was toppled in 135 kph winds. Picture: Hany Marzouk

Gardai from Salthill help the emergency service to clear the damage in Salthill Park, Galway. Picture: Hany Marzouk

Salthill car park level with the sea after high tide and floods in Galway. Picture: Hany Marzouk

Cars are smashed together like toys by 135kph gusts in a Salthill car park, Galway. Picture: Hany Marzouk

Businesses in Spanish Arch in Galway city suffered extensive damages due to 135 Kilometre wind and floods. Picture: Hany Marzouk

At high tide in Kinvara Galway the sea came in over the pier and flooded some businesses and homes including Guitarist Stewart Cowell, pictured here. Photo: Andrew Downes.

Boulders and rubble pile high on the main roadway at Rossbeigh Strand in County Kerry. Photo: Don MacMonagle

Walkers survey the damage at Clontarf car park at high tide today. Picture: Steve Humphreys

The Liffey burst its banks on the south quays in Dublin's docklands today. Credit: Kieran Binchy/Twitter

The Liffey has burst its banks near the Guinness Storehouse and Heuston Station. Traffic is backed up along the quays since the road is impassable. Credit: Jane Last

Traffic is backed up along Dublin's quays this afternoon - the River Liffey burst its banks and flooded the roads on either side of the river. Picture: Jane Last

The Liffey burst its banks this afternoon and Wolfe Tone and Victoria Quays are closed. Picture: Jane Last

The Liffey water has spilled out onto the quays. Wolfe Tone and Victoria quays are now closed. Diversions are in place. Picture: Jane Last

Sea water passes through a wall of sandbags in Clontarf today. Picture: Steve Humphreys

Damage as a result of flooding in counties across Ireland

A national clean-up has begun for devastated flood-damaged communities across Ireland.

Millions of euro worth of damage was done as high tides and gale force winds battered communities in Dublin, Galway, Clare, Mayo, Cork, Donegal and Kerry.

County councils around the country were on high alert today as staff worked to make floodwaters retreat and prevent damage to businesses and homes.

Clare County Council will spend €50,000 on a preliminary clean-up in Lahinch after the small tourist village was battered by the storm.

Seawalls and footpaths were broken by the sheer force of rushing seawater. It is estimated that millions of euro worth of damage has been caused in total.

A major clean-up operation is underway in the western areas after high tides caused extensive flooding this morning.

Homes and businesses in Dublin city escaped damage, when the River Liffery rose to the highest tide of record.

The river burst its banks near Guinness Storehouse and Heuston Station this afternoon. Wolfe Tone and Victoria quays were closed for an hour but they were reopened as council staff pumped the floodwater off the roads.

The East Link Bridge was closed for a number of hours this afternoon, but it is now back open. The Strand Road in Sandymount also reopened following high tide.

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said all roads and quays were reopened by 2.15pm today.

The worst-hit areas in the city at high tide were Sandymount and Victoria Quay, a council spokesperson said. Traffic has now cleared in the city and should be moving like most Friday afternoons.

Dublin City Council will issue the next precautionary alert on Sunday, but it said the tide will not be as high as today.

In South Dublin, Vico Road in Dalkey is closed because power lines are down.

Donaghmede was also at a standstill as high tide seawater flooded coastal roads.

The coast road and station roads in Malahide were also closed this evening.

AA Roadwatch said traffic began to clear around the county earlier this evening, after spates of heavy standstills this morning.

Up to 600 homes are still without power this evening, but ESB said they will have power restored by tonight.

The worst affected area was west Wicklow where a number of homes and businesses are without power following a lightning storm.

Meanwhile, businesses along the seafront in Clontarf, one of the worst-hit areas by the storm in the capital, breathed a collective sigh of relief today as rising flood waters stopped just metres from shop fronts.

There had been fears the high tide at 12.30pm would cause serious flooding to the shops and homes on the Clontarf Rd where the promenade walkway had flooded yesterday for the first time since 2004.

In preparation, a ring of sandbags had been installed by Dublin City Council around the worst hit part of the promenade and sabdbags had also been made available to homes and businesses.

By high tide a huge stretch of the promenade had been entirely flooded with the incoming tide filling gullies resulting in partial flooding of the road.

But the flood waters soon receded leaving premises unscathed.

Salthill in Galway was hit badly by rising waters, along with parts of Mayo suffering extensive damage.

Shops and restaurants facing the Spanish Arch in Galway city tried to prepare with sandbags and flood defences but this could not hold the surge of water back.

The promenade in Salthill was closed today as council crews worked to remove some of the debris washed ashore. Rocks, stones and seaweed were strewn along the popular walking spot in the storm.

Some businesses along the promenade experienced damage. Leisureland will remain closed for a number of days, following damage to the gym and pool.

Parts of Cork city were hit by floods from the River Lee. A number of homes were evacuated.

Today, floods hit low-lying areas of the city including Morrissons Quay, Fr Mathew Quay, Sharman-Crawford Street and Union Quay but did not reach the levels which caused chaos last night.

Floods also caused misery in county towns including Midleton, Youghal, Clonakilty, Cobh, Kinsale, Carrigaline, Bandon, Fermoy and Mallow.

Cork City Council has issued a flood alert for tomorrow and Sunday at high tides.

A family was evacuated from a house in Westport Co. Mayo after extensive flooding in the area.

Part of a bridge in Rosmoney was washed away and gardai diverted traffic from the area.

Businesses and a number of homes in the main street in Foynes in Co. Limerick were also damaged because of tidal flooding from the Shannon Estuary.

Council staff pumped water from affected areas in Limerick and they deployed sandbags in advance of further bad weather tonight.

A clean-up operation is underway but there are fears of further damage with more high tides forecast for later this evening.

Galway City Council issued a warning regarding potential flooding during high tides between now and the end of the week.

These high tides will hit tomorrow at 6.48am and 7.18pm, and Sunday at 7.36am.

Belfast avoided the serious flooding that many feared was certain to hit today, after a tidal surge came and went without breaching defences.

A major multi-agency operation had been under way since yesterday to prepare residental and industrial districts on both sides of the River Lagan that were identified as being at major risk.

But defences held firm and there were no reports of any serious flooding more than two hours after the midday high tide.

Irish Independent