Is Galway in a flood zone?

Parts of Galway are. The OPW has mapped river and coastal flood extents within about 1.5 km of the town centre. A zone covers streets, not the whole town, so the answer for one house depends on where it stands. The report checks the exact Eircode against the 1 in 10, 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 year extents.

Will a house in Galway be hard to insure against flooding?

Insurers price by postcode and by the OPW record. With 20 recorded events within 2 km, expect questions on the proposal form and possibly a flood exclusion on some streets. Ask the seller for their current policy schedule: if flood is excluded, you will inherit that problem.

What does the paid report add for a house in Galway, Co. Galway?

It puts the Eircode point against every OPW flood extent, lists recorded floods within 500 m with dates and OPW notes, checks GSI groundwater flood maps and coastal erosion, and ranks the result against the other twenty-eight checks (radon, BER, planning, knotweed, title, sewer and more) for that one address.

Flood risk · Galway, Co. Galway

Flood risk in Galway: 20 recorded floods and mapped flood zones

The OPW register holds 20 recorded floods within 2 km of the centre of Galway, and the OPW has mapped river and coastal flood extents nearby. What that means for a house here, and how to check the exact address.

recorded flood events within 2 km of the town centre (OPW)

Yes

river flood extent mapped nearby (1 in 100 year, OPW CFRAM)

Yes

coastal flood extent mapped nearby (1 in 200 year)

What the OPW record says about Galway

The Office of Public Works keeps a register of past floods. Within 2 km of the centre of Galway it holds 20 events, the latest in 2020. By source: coastal/estuarine waters (16). A recorded event does not mean every street went under. It means an insurer’s model knows the town.

Most recent on file:

January 2020: Flooding at Galway City/Salthill on 13/01/2020 (coastal/estuarine waters). Storm Brendan - � local overtopping at South Park, Silverstrand and Salthill (Blackrock). Sea Levels reached top of pier at the Docks & Fishmarket. Roads and carpark closed at Salthill.
December 2019: Flooding at Salthill Promenade Galway on 18/12/2019 (coastal/estuarine waters). High winds and heavy rain due to Storm Elsa, media reports that storm surge resulted in up to 50 cars and 10 houses flooding
December 2019: Flooding at Spanish Arch Galway on 18/12/2019 (coastal/estuarine waters). Continuation of above event
February 2019: Flooding at Galway City on 08/02/2019 (coastal/estuarine waters). Flooding of Salthill Promenade and the Aquarium carpark during Storm Erik.
October 2018: Flooding at Galway City/Salthill on 11/10/2018 (coastal/estuarine waters). Storm Callum- overtopping at the Docks, City Museum and Salthill. Roads and carpark closed.

Separately from past events, the OPW flood maps (CFRAM) draw modelled extents for river and coastal flooding near Galway. A house inside the 1 in 100 year river extent, or the 1 in 200 year coastal extent, will usually need a flood-specific conversation with the insurer before you can draw down a mortgage.

What to do before bidding on a house here

Look the exact address up on the OPW map, not the town. Two houses on the same road can sit on opposite sides of an extent line. Ask the seller in writing whether the house or garden has ever flooded and whether a flood claim was made. Ask for the current insurance schedule. If the house is inside an extent, get a quote before going sale agreed: some insurers decline outright, and the bank will not lend without cover.

The free snapshot on this site flags flood for one Eircode in about a minute. The paid report adds the distance to each recorded event, which extents the point falls in, and the GSI groundwater map, all with links to the source so a solicitor can rely on them.

Check one house in Galway

The area tells you the odds. The report tells you about the house.

Enter the Eircode. The free snapshot shows which of the twenty-nine checks flag up. The full report (€24.99, one house, no account) puts the exact Eircode point on the OPW extents, lists every recorded flood within 500 m with dates and notes, and checks groundwater and coastal erosion maps too.

Or read the sample report first: a real house, 16 pages.

Also for Galway

Radon in Galway · Planning applications in Galway · BER ratings in Galway · Flood risk across Co. Galway

Nearby: Salthill, Knocknacarra, Oranmore, Athenry, Gort, Tuam.

Questions people ask

Is Galway in a flood zone?: Parts of Galway are. The OPW has mapped river and coastal flood extents within about 1.5 km of the town centre. A zone covers streets, not the whole town, so the answer for one house depends on where it stands. The report checks the exact Eircode against the 1 in 10, 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 year extents.
Will a house in Galway be hard to insure against flooding?: Insurers price by postcode and by the OPW record. With 20 recorded events within 2 km, expect questions on the proposal form and possibly a flood exclusion on some streets. Ask the seller for their current policy schedule: if flood is excluded, you will inherit that problem.
What does the paid report add for a house in Galway, Co. Galway?: It puts the Eircode point against every OPW flood extent, lists recorded floods within 500 m with dates and OPW notes, checks GSI groundwater flood maps and coastal erosion, and ranks the result against the other twenty-eight checks (radon, BER, planning, knotweed, title, sewer and more) for that one address.

Sources

Area figures, compiled from public records. They describe the town or county, not any one house. The paid report checks the exact Eircode.