A mother who is a native of an area of Connemara that is without running water has said she was forced to move from the area because of the third world conditions.

Padraic Jennings from outside Carna who has to collect his drinking water two miles from his house. Photo: Andrew Downes

It was revealed last week that up to 52 families in the Letterard and Moyrus townlands near Carna have never been connected to the main water supply.

The families, who have to carry water in five gallon buckets for up to five miles to carry out simple household tasks such as washing and flushing the toilet, have waited for over 30 years for a promised Carna-Kilkerrin regional water scheme, but where left disappointed when they were excluded from the works.

As a result, families are currently collecting rain water in tanks on the roof of their houses to use for washing and toilet facilities while they must walk for five miles to a tap at the local school for water to cook food and wash dishes. They are also forced to bring clothes to the dry cleaners, as the water available to them is contaminated and damages the material.

Veronica Lydon, who grew up in the affected area, told the Galway Independent that the lack of a running water scheme has meant she has had to leave her family home.

"In the winter time, it isn't so bad as you have the rainwater but during the summertime, we don't have any water at all! When I was growing up I used to have to go and get water in the morning to make sure my mother has enough for the day. Then you would have to climb up on the roof and pour it into a storage tank. It sounds like something out of Angela's Ashes! But at the same time, we weren't that bothered by it because everyone was in the same boat. The tap used to be a meeting place for everybody.

"We kept asking and asking but we were always told that the water was on the way. So then when they came and started digging up the roads we thought it would be sorted out but that didn't happen either. They brought the water to within 200 yards of our house and then bypassed over 50 families. That was definitely the straw that broke the camel's back. The water was flowing past the house and we were still filling gallon drums!"

The frustrated residents then offered to buy and lay the pipes for the water themselves but were told that this would not be allowed.

"It is ridiculous at this stage. I have a two-year-old son and I have had to leave my family home because of this. Something has to be done," said Ms Lydon.

Galway Senator Fidelma Healy Eames, who has campaigned for a water scheme for the area, said she is outraged by the conditions that these "forgotten people" are forced to live in.

"These people are being left out because they live down country byroads. According to the council, the terrain wouldn't have suited the works being carried out, but I have difficulty accepting this. The council knew of the terrain in the years before the works were carried out but still told these families that they would be getting running water. From where I am standing, the council are being very short-sighted. Those who are being affected by this are the native families who have been there down through the years, living near the coast. They are still having to walk for miles to get water while people who have moved to the area more recently have been facilitated," said Senator Healy Eames.

"I want to see these families being prioritised by Galway County Council and a water scheme put in place through the next round of funding. They are saying that 45 new schemes are needed but they will only receive funding for two. These people have no water and that it totally unacceptable. As well as the inconvenience, there is also a lot of health risks associated with this situation as the water they are using is contaminated."

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