The village of Derrylin awoke on Saturday morning to flood waters as water rose quickly as Storm Bert took hold of County Fermanagh.

The heavy rain and floods took its toll on the village with flood waters at St. Aidan’s High School reaching some of the classrooms. 

Principal of St. Aidan’s High School, Maura Melanaphy said: “'We were devastated to wake up on Saturday morning to find out that the flood had made its way into our mobile classroom.

“With a lot of hard work from our staff over the weekend, the classrooms are drying out and we hope to have them back in action in a couple of weeks.”

One person who was on the scene was Sinn Féin Councillor, Declan McArdle who arrived in Derrylin shortly after 7 am.

He described the water in the area as “like Niagra Falls”. 

“I got up and waded in as far as I could in the wellies and the water was up over the top of the wellies, I got onto DfI and fair play to them they came out and another call had all the emergency services out.”

He praised the response of the agencies and emergency services: “They had been out and about somewhere else but due to the water still rising in Derrylin with houses and St. Aidan’s School, the playground and up to the door had been flooded.

“Emergency services were prompt and very good. Greentown Environmental does a lot of work with the Department for Infrastructure and they were out so fair play to them. After a couple of hours at 11 or 12 o’clock it was all gone.”

Councillor McArdle noted that the area is not usually liable to flooding, he said: “It was a surprise as that has never flooded. We got plenty of warning, but when it happens it is an eye-opener.

“The gully needs to be cleaned and we have been on about this as councillors, the river needs to be dredged or widened and I am not criticising them as credit where it is due.

"More work needs to be done on the gullies when a weather warning is called but then again we are not used to that intensity. We are used to rain in Fermanagh but we are not used to that intensity with the snow and all.

“Stragowna Cross, the river at it had burst its banks in the afternoon.

"It didn't get into the houses or anything but fair play to the Rivers Agency, they dropped off sandbags at the houses at least they had that and it didn’t get into the houses."

He concluded: “We were kind of running about playing tig on Saturday."

Derrylin O'Connell's GAC also felt the force of Storm Bert as they entrance to their pitches was completely flooded.

On social media, the club joked that they were opening a new swimming pool.

PSNI officers were also involved in a rescue operation. 

In a social media post, a spokesperson said: “One of our crews was on patrol when they noticed rising waters around a rural house. The elderly occupants were trapped inside with fast-flowing water rising up the steps at their back door. 

“The crew acted fast and with the help of a local business and farmer they located a load of sandbags. Working with water up to their knees, the officers protected the house with the sandbags and resumed their patrol.”

Other areas hit by flooding included Ballycassidy, Garrison, Lisnarick, Ballinamallard, Kilskeery, Derrygonnelly, Lisnaskea, Belcoo and Newtownbutler.