Sinking Leitrim estate horror as families live with raw sewage and environmental fears

Residents of An Gairdín housing estate in Keshcarrigan say they are living on what they describe as a “toxic time-bomb”, as raw sewage leaks into gardens, roads collapse underfoot and no authority accepts responsibility for fixing the crisis.

Built in 2004 during the Celtic Tiger boom, the 16-home development was constructed on land residents describe as “bog” — land that had been rejected for development on three previous occasions.

While the houses themselves were pile-driven into stable ground, the surrounding roads, drainage systems, sewer pipes and underground services were not. That construction decision has now left families dealing with collapsed pipes, raised manholes, twisted roads, flooded gardens and sewage backflowing into their homes.

“Everything outside the houses is sinking,” said resident James Ruddy, one of the longest-living residents. “The houses are pile-driven. That’s why they’re still standing. But the roads, the gardens, the service lines – they weren’t. The whole thing is collapsing around us.”

‘This site should never have been developed’

Resident Pamela Ruddy said the land should never have been built on. “The reason our houses are built on piles is because this site should never have been developed. It was rejected three times. It’s on bog. Everybody knows what happens to bogland when it gets heavy and wet. It sinks.”

A technical report commissioned by Leitrim County Council and carried out by ORS Consultants, seen by residents, found “significant defects” in estate infrastructure, including collapsing roads and broken drainage pipes. The report concluded that the incorrect construction method was used for the ground conditions.

The council’s own internal summary, issued in September 2024, warned that “the roads and services are sinking into the peat under their own weight” and said remediation would be extensive, disruptive and extremely costly.

Estimates for a permanent repair range from €1.5 million to more than €1.7 million — while the developer’s bond for the estate stands at just €55,000. “They keep talking about the bond,” James Ruddy said. “It’s about €56,000. They’re talking about €1.5 million to fix this properly. The figures just don’t match.”

Children can’t play, pets kept outdoors

For families, the impact is not technical — it is daily life. The Ruddy's 17-year-old son Luke remembers being warned as a child not to play in parts of the estate. “You could never really play on that side. There was sewage actually coming up. I remember being eight or nine and one of the kids went to touch it. We were told to get away from it.”

In places, the ground has dropped by up to three feet, leaving manholes suspended mid-air and roads twisted out of shape.

Newer resident Gareth O’Boyle said he damaged his car on his very first visit. “It was dark. I didn’t see it. The road had lifted eight or nine inches. It ripped the exhaust clean off my car. One of the manholes is literally hanging in the air now. Kids and pets can’t go near it. Cars can’t drive over sections without damage.”

Raw sewage inside homes

Inside the houses, families say they are fighting a constant battle with sewage. One family spent €5,000 digging up their driveway to replace pipes that had sunken and kinked as the ground moved.

“The toilets wouldn’t flush, they were coming back up,” Pamela Ruddy said. “We had to dig up the drive and replace the pipes ourselves. Five thousand euro, out of our own pocket.”

Maria Hoey and Dr Garrett O’Boyle said the tanker suction alone has made their home unliveable at times. “When the tankers come, the smell is so bad we can’t open the windows. We can’t let the pets out.”

Tankers sucking sewage every week 

Leitrim County Council now regularly sends industrial tankers into the An Gairdín development to manually remove raw sewage from underground chambers. Residents say the tankers arrive every week and sometimes twice a week in wet weather.

“We’re talking tens of thousands every year of taxpayers’ money pumping sewage instead of fixing the actual problem,” Gareth O'Boyle said.

All homeowners continue to pay Local Property Tax.

“We pay our tax. We pay our mortgages. We’re not looking for special treatment. We just don’t want to live beside raw sewage,” Pamela added.

‘We are in absolute no man’s land’

The stakes are even higher for medically vulnerable families.“The manholes have overflown with sewage 365 days of the year,” said Andrew Travers. “My son Dylan (aged 7) is a cancer patient with legacy urology health issues and I am his full-time carer, urology nurse and parent. The risk of cross contamination and further disease when nursing our son is excruciating mentally for me. Our children can neither play in the back garden nor front garden. Financially we are not in a position to rehome our children elsewhere. We need action on this health and safety void now!"

Environmental fears for Shannon and tourism

Residents are also deeply worried about environmental fallout. The development sits beside the Shannon–Erne Waterway and overlooks Lough Scur, a major local tourism and angling amenity. Council officials admitted at meetings that they could not confirm whether sewage and drinking water systems were properly separated.

One resident warned: “Loch Scur polluted would mean no tourists wanted to come here.” The estate backs directly onto the Shannon–Erne Waterway and Lough Scur, a major angling and tourism hub. “We can see the water from our house,” Pamela said. “If sewage is going into the soil, it’s only a matter of time before it gets into the lake.”

Residents said they were told at one meeting that officials could not confirm whether sewage and drinking water pipes were fully separated. “So we don’t drink the tap water anymore,” one resident said.

Residents are now calling for independent biological and water testing of the lake.

‘We were told it was being taken in charge’

Several newer homeowners said they bought their properties after being told the estate was about to be taken in charge by the council. “Our solicitor was told the council was in the process of taking it in charge,” Gareth O’Boyle said. “We bought on that basis.” However, a recent parliamentary reply confirmed that there is now no dedicated national fund to deal with estates in this situation and that councils are not legally obliged to take them in charge.

“The Government says it’s nothing to do with them. The council says they can’t afford it. We’re stuck in the middle,” Maria Hoey said. Residents strongly reject any suggestion that they are living in an “unfinished” estate. “We are not unfinished,” Pamela Ruddy said. “Every house is built. Every house is occupied. We pay tax. We’re a finished estate — but one that was built wrong.”

The real cost council documents reveal

An independent engineering assessment by ORS Consultants, commissioned by Leitrim County Council, concluded that the public infrastructure alone would cost €1.2 million to repair, not including damage inside private gardens and driveways. A separate internal Book of Estimates prepared by the Council places the full cost even higher, with total council works estimated at €1,708,388.56 including VAT and a further €113,916.18 attributed to Uisce Éireann. The estimates show that the largest costs relate to major ground and structural works, including €386,488.21 for earthworks, €245,357.36 for structural concrete, €212,637.20 for piling and retaining walls, €94,824.98 for storm drainage and €69,751.88 for foul drainage and sewer repairs. In total, this small 16-home development would cost more to repair than Leitrim County Council has allocated for all housing estates across the county over a five-year period. Council officials confirmed that the entire five-year “taking in charge” budget stands at €1 million, while the original developer bond for An Gairdín is just €55,000 — a fraction of what is now required.

Council response

In a statement to the Leitrim Observer on Friday Leitrim County Council said it is aware of the problems facing residents in the estate. A spokesperson said: “Leitrim County Council are aware of the issues with the wastewater infrastructure in the estate. The Council have engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to seek funding to enable the remediation of the infrastructure in the estate.”

Effluent back garden at An Gairdin.

Gap under house showing subsidence.