“Shocking” damage to the historic wall running through the Mourne Mountains caused by Storm Éowyn will not be repaired until new surveys “subject to funding” take place.
Parts of the 22-mile stone wall were damaged during last week’s unprecedented storm, leaving gaps where stones collapsed as a result of gale force winds.
The damage was incurred two-and-a-half years after a £2.5m restoration project to repair the wall, which was built between 1904 and 1922 and became a listed monument in 1996.
Surveys to identify where further repairs were needed were carried out last year, but the recent damage means more costly surveys are now required.
Winds of over 90mph were recorded in the north during Storm Éowyn.
The UK Met Office issued the first-ever red weather warning for Northern Ireland, and the winds caused damage to buildings across the region, toppled thousands of trees, and left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power during its height.
Thousands of properties were still without electricity on Wednesday.
Robbie Marsh, a guide with the Mourne Mountain Adventures group, told the Irish News he was “shocked” at the scale of the damage to the Mournes wall, which was originally built by local labourers as a catchment area boundary for the old Belfast Water Commissioners.
The wall is now under the care of NI Water.
“The wall is sturdy, and I’ve never seen this much damage caused - it’s honestly shocking,” he said.
Posted by Dave Somerville on Saturday 25 January 2025
“Storm Darragh in December caused some damage, but Éowyn really hit it hard. Normally the main threat to the wall’s structure is lightning strikes.
“It appears that the wind last week was funneled between Slieve Meelmore and Slieve Bearnagh, which can increase its force. I’ve never seen anything like the damage, people are horrified by it, while hundreds of trees were also blown over across the Mournes.
“Unfortunately, it requires skilled craft workers to carry out repairs, due to the wall’s construction.
The dry stone wall is built without mortar, and the first phase of the Mourne Wall Restoration project saw over 600 repairs carried out in 2018.
The £2.5m spend on the second phase in 2022 came on the 100th anniversary of its completion.
In a statement, a NI Water spokesperson said Storm Éowyn had a “significant impact” on its assets.
“In the coming days, we will continue to assess our assets including the Mourne Wall. In March 2024, NI Water completed the second phase of essential repairs on the 100 year old Mourne Wall as part of the restoration project. During 2024, the restoration team also completed a further survey of the wall to identify additional repairs to be completed.
“We are aware of the damage to the wall following the storm and further surveys will need to take place, subject to funding and approvals.”
