The wall at Conwal Graveyard which collapsed allowing water to flood the graveyard and destroy graves. Pic copyright Donegal Daily.
PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Relatives were left in shock when several graves were damaged by raging floodwaters at Conwal Graveyard in Letterkenny.
A 50 ft length of wall gave way sending torrents of floodwater and masonry rushing through the graveyard during yesterday’s sudden floods.
Large chucks of masonry were flung up to 100 yards down onto graves causing many to be damaged.
Some of the damaged graves at Conwal Graveyard. Pic copyright Donegal Daily.
At least five graves were visibly damaged with many being flooded with water completely.
It is thought a river at the back of the graveyard burst its banks sending water into a gulley building up a makeshift damn which eventually forced the wall to collapse.
Wooden crosses were sent tumbling down the graveyard while cover on graves was washed away in the flood.
Local priest Fr Eamon Kelly arrived quickly on the scene and was visibly upset by what he saw.
A number of relatives who heard of the incident arrived at the graves and were tending to them last night.
Local residents including well-known gravedigger Liam Sweeney were also on hand.
Mr Sweeney immediately organised a number of neighbours to start a clean-up operation of the graveyard including the removal of debris.
One man said “It was lucky nobody was in the graveyard visiting their loved ones or they could have been seriously injured.
“The size of these boulders which were just tossed down into the graveyard is incredible. The power of the water which burst through that back wall must have been huge.”