LEGENDARY Republic of Ireland and Celtic goalkeeper Packie Bonner has called for people to support a challenge match raising funds for victims of last month's north-west floods.
The game at Maginn Park, Buncrana, between Derry City and Finn Harps, is the latest in a series of events organised to help those whose homes were destroyed.
Bonner, from Keadue in west Donegal, was a firm favourite with Irish soccer fans through the 1980s and 1990s.
He said damage from the flood water had been devastating for families in Inishowen and he was deeply moved by the plight of victims.
“You think that things like that only happen somewhere far away abroad but when it comes to your own county, it brings home the scale of the damage that can be done,” he said.
Bonner paid tribute to Derry City, Finn Harps and the Inishowen Football League for organising tonight’s game (8pm).
“I would urge people to get out in big numbers to Maginn Park."
It was revealed yesterday that the hugely popular Swan Park in Buncrana could be closed for up to a year due to damage from the floods.
Walkways around the park, at the mouth of the River Crana, were swept away.
Buncrana Fianna Fáil councillor Rena Donaghy also said a huge amount of debris had been washed through the park including white goods, bicycles and even a portaloo.
“The park has been absolutely destroyed,” she said.
The clean-up is also continuing north of the border where homes in Claudy, Drumahoe, Eglinton and parts of Tyrone were particularly badly damaged.
A spokesman for the Department of Infrastructure said 32 of the 59 roads closed have now been re-opened.
“There are around 600 further bridges in the affected area that will need to be inspected to see if there is any damage that is not immediately visible,” he said.
Work on a park and ride facility at Drumahoe which was swept into the River Faughan is also continuing to enable it to be re-opened as soon as possible.
In Derry, meanwhile, high-profile priest Fr Paddy O’Kane has revealed he had to call on Mass-goers on the night of the floods to protect his church.
Fr O’Kane said water was about to pour into Holy Family Church at Ballymagroarty, which was flooded twice in the past.
“I appealed for more volunteers from the men coming to evening Mass and we managed to bail the water out. It took over and hour and we were all soaked to the skin."
