Hotels in Cork have been praised for giving free stays to families left homeless in floods as Storm Frank wreaked havoc.
The Midleton Park Hotel in Midleton, around 14 miles from Cork City, took in 52 flood victims for the night and even put up nine portable beds in the boardroom so it didn’t have to turn anyone away.
General manager Patrick Shields said: "Our community are the reason for our existence and support us incredibly well, it is the very least that we can do to assist them in their time of need in any way that we can. I am very proud of our team at the hotel for taking care of our locals so well."
He praised duty manager Tom and receptionist Stephanie who personally serviced rooms to ensure they were ready for the flood affected guests and also assistant manager Claire who set up the boardroom with portable beds and heaters.
The hotel provided free breakfast to all those affected, and Suzie, the food and beverage assistant, provided complimentary take away hot breakfasts for anyone that came to the hotel looking for a meal.
"The Midleton Fire Service also had breakfast with us this morning following their long night of emergency works," said Shields yesterday.
Meanwhile, the five-star Castlemartyr Resort in Cork also offered free stays to flood victims on its Facebook page.
Working closely with Castlemartyr Community Council, it helped local people who were stranded.
According to reports, some 61 mm of rain has fallen in the area since 9am on Tuesday.
