Christmas Under Water: The Enniscorthy Slaney Flood, December 2021

The week before Christmas 2021 brought a succession of Atlantic fronts across Wexford, delivering more than 90mm of rainfall in the hills above Enniscorthy. The Slaney catchment, which drains a large area of Co. Wexford and parts of Wicklow and Carlow, was already carrying elevated flows from November. OPW monitoring at Scarawalsh Bridge upstream showed levels nudging 2.0m — well above summer norms but below flood thresholds. The Meteorological Service issued a Status Orange rain warning on the 23rd.

By Christmas Eve evening, the Slaney at Enniscorthy had exceeded its 2.8m flood trigger point. Householders on the Templeshannon and Weafer Street quaysides — veterans of previous Slaney floods — were already stacking sandbags and moving possessions upstairs. Wexford County Council issued an advisory. The river rose through 3.0m shortly before midnight, and it became clear that the overnight peak would be significant. Many families spent Christmas Eve watching the river rather than wrapping presents.