Business owners in Downpatrick described the devastation caused by recent flooding as “soul-destroying” as they were finally able to enter their premises.
Heavy rain last week caused the nearby River Quoile to burst its banks and saw some buildings flooded almost to their roofs.
Due to the geography of Downpatrick – described by some as a “bowl” or “basin” – the floodwater had to be manually pumped out of the town.
The operation began late on Friday, with two pumps removing water from the Market Street area at a rate of 7,500 litres per minute.
Business owners and their staff began the clean-up operation on Monday.
Brendan Kearney is the owner of Oakley Fayre cafe and deli in Market Street and has been in business for 45 years.
He said it was “soul-destroying” to see the damage the water had caused when he was able to go in on Sunday for the first time since the flooding.
“There was food everywhere that had come out of the fridges and was floating on the water … We had some cameras and we were able to see some of that,” he said.
“But it’s just absolutely devastating after 45 years to end like this.”
The front of house and kitchen of the cafe were destroyed, with damaged appliances piled up at the back of the premises.
Mr Kearney said the damage and loss of earnings for his business is estimated to be in the region of £120,000 (€138,000).
“A lot of shops either side of us have lost hundreds of thousands of pounds of stock, some of them £100,000, £200,000, so it is a huge loss,” he said.
There has not been a functioning Assembly and Executive at Stormont for more than a year due to the DUP’s boycott of powersharing in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.
In the absence of devolved government, a number of politicians have called on Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris to provide more financial aid to areas affected by flooding including Downpatrick, and other badly affected towns such as Newry, Kilkeel and Portadown.
Mr Kearney said substantial financial support will need to be given to businesses in the town to enable them to reopen.
“What we are calling for is support from the council, support from Stormont, and especially support from the UK Government at this moment in time to help us get back and opened again,” he said.
“And we’re not talking £1,000 or £2,000 here – we’re talking substantial grants need to be given to the businesses in Downpatrick to help them to reopen.”
Council workers were helping to remove destroyed furniture from stores, and residents and owners of other businesses were assisting with the clean-up operation, with many in the town speaking of how strongly the community has come together.
“The majority of businesses in Downpatrick would all be independent traders and they would be looking for that support,” Mr Kearney said.
“There’s been tremendous support from the public, from other shopkeepers who haven’t been affected by it.
“And across the board, and the support that has come on the ground from the council workers and the staff of the council – nobody could say anything about it other than it has been excellent.”
Mr Kearney said “very serious questions” need to be asked in relation to the infrastructure in Downpatrick.
“If you look at the marshes and look at the Quoile, and stuff that hasn’t maybe been maintained the way it should be maintained over the last number of years,” he said.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw somebody going around sucking out drains, I can’t even come up with a date for when I last saw those happening, but, yes, there’s some very serious questions need answered from all the government agencies.”
Karen Knox is the owner of K-Chic boutique and, like many of the businesses, is unable to make an insurance claim for flood damage.
“No landlords down here at all, nobody here. We’re left here not knowing what to do. I’m just taking photographs and just… I don’t know,” she said.
She added: “We were in and we tidied it up a bit, but we were told by the insurance just don’t touch anything, leave it until they come down and have a look at the damage.
“But now they’ve told us that there is no insurance at all. No insurance.
“So now we’re just in and they’re telling me ‘Just do what you want with your stock’, but it’s completely ruined. There’s nothing, nothing at all.”
Ms Knox said her loss of stock will be in the region of £60,000.
“I’m opened two years so everything was new for me. So I really don’t know, I honestly don’t know how to go back and count everything because I had to buy everything from new,” she said.
Ms Knox said financial assistance will need to be offered to give businesses a chance of reopening before Christmas.
“We’ll have to get help, we have to get open, we have to do something,” she said.
“There has to be some kind of trading to get some kind of living. What are we going to live off?”
