Newlywed Lauren Davenport and her husband didn’t let the rain dampen their wedding day
DESPITE THE TREACHEROUS floods in Lisnaskea these past two weeks a wedding reception at Crom Estate went ahead on Saturday – just about.
Even with a detour via Enniskillen from Crom Church to the estate for the reception, some guests unable to make it on time, and wedding cars having to be cancelled County Tyrone bride Lauren Davenport was able to walk down the aisle.
Speaking to the Herald this week the bride, who was late to the church due to the floods remarked: “It was chaotic, but it all went ahead. Thank God.”
Noel Johnston, manager of the West Wing at Crom, where the reception was held explained that guests had to bused in as the waters level were too high.
“The venue was not affected, only the roads into it. The wedding was actually in Crom Church so you couldn’t go by the Share Centre and Derrylin and they couldn’t go by Inishmore so they had to go by Enniskillen, which added another 35 mile there and 35 mile back. So there was no roads passable at all.”
He continued: “It’s not good for business. You try your best, but we can’t do anything about the floods, except put a bit of pressure on, but it went well and everything went OK so that was the most important thing. She’s married anyway and happy so that’s the main thing.”
The lane leading into Crom Estate, which is roughly 50m long has been flooded for 10 days, with water levels at two foot preventing access for cars. This is a familiar situation for those at Crom as in 2009 they were faced with the same problem.
“I remember back in 2009 the road was to be made higher then,” explained Mr Johnston, “but nothing ever happened and it was an accident waiting to happen.
“It’s such a simple thing that’s easily resolved. Two or three lorry loads of stones and tarred over and that’s the end of it.
My mother hasn’t stayed in her house in Crom the last week, hasn’t slept in it because of the floods. It’s getting in and out which is the problem. It’s about 18 inches, two foot. A normal car can’t get through it , but a four wheel drive or something high can, but nobody up there has that.”
While the levels may not be as high as they were at their peak in 2009 Mr Johnston said the situation is worse as the flooding has been more prolonged this time.
“I just hope do increase the level of the road because it’s a real hassle and something that’s so simple to be rectified.
It’s about 50m long so it’s not a big, big job to do and it would leave life a lot simpler for the people living up there. From a tourism point of view it’s non existent.”
Local Sinn Fein councillor Thomas O’Reilly added: “I was speaking to the lady who was trying to bring in the cake and she was having an awful hard job trying to access the castle and certainly the guests as well. For a relatively small amount of raise in the road this problem would be solved
“That’s bad enough that we have one of our major tourist attractions in the area cut off, but it’s also the people who live and around that area, where both roads are closed. God forbid anyone died. It’s a tractor and trailer they would have to be got out on.”
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