Galway Woman Feels Neglected After Storm Damage To Home

A woman from Galway experienced a great loss when Storm Eowyn ruined her family home. However, she has also seen kindness from others, though she feels the government has neglected her.

Friends describe Maureen Folan as truly remarkable, noting that the storm completely changed her life. Maureen lived alone in her family’s home, which had been in Galway for generations, and she was known for her kindness.

News spread quickly about the roof damage that made her home unlivable, shocking her community. In response, friends and neighbors started a fundraiser to help her rebuild, explaining, “She is always helping everyone.”

Photos reveal the extent of the damage, and people are trying to raise €100,000 to help her live there again. Fundraisers worry this goal may not be enough, as the roof is gone, and the walls are also damaged, making it difficult to estimate the total rebuilding cost.

Maureen Folan, age 74, appeared on RTÉ Radio 1 and spoke with Oliver Callan on Monday, stating that she still awaits an assessor. Having lived there for 42 years, the storm has changed everything for her.

She stayed with her brother and his wife for about three weeks after the storm, then a friend loaned her a log cabin to live in temporarily. She can’t stay there much longer because the rental is needed for other purposes, so she must find a new place to live, but the county council has no openings available, raising concerns that she might become homeless.

Six weeks after the storm, the house remains damaged, and she needs two quotes from registered builders who can provide photos. The delay is due to the assessor, who the humanitarian Assistance Scheme promised would arrive quickly. With six weeks having passed and no one appearing, she feels left behind and not a priority.

Assessors must see the disaster to initiate progress, yet she’s been waiting for six weeks. The humanitarian Assistance Scheme provided her with forms, assuring her an assessor would come quickly, but nothing has happened, leading her to hope that the quotes will finally prompt some action.

Friends are willing to help fix the house, but nobody can touch anything yet because the government must send an assessor soon. Many want to assist with the repairs, but no one can touch the home until it’s assessed.