When it rains it pours for the Irish.

The country is facing a multi-million euro clean-up bill after some of the worst flooding in living memory.

Bandon, Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Dunmanway in County Cork took the worst of the flooding and were all virtually cut off by the floods.

Motorists have been urged to avoid unnecessary travel as the weather service says more rain is on the way.

The Irish Army was called out to deal with the rising floodwaters in the south and west of the country with soldiers despatched to  Bantry and Clonakilty in County Cork, Ballinasloe in County Galway, Ennis in County Clare and Clonmel in Co Tipperary.

More soldiers are on standby throughout the country as more rain is expected through Friday.
The Air Corps helicopters are also on standby but the bad weather means they could be grounded.

Rivers in Cork and Tipperary burst their banks flooding the quays in both places. The main approach road to Bandon in County Cork was cut off by a landlslide and the town looked like a mini-Venice as two rivers broke their banks and flooded the town's main street with up to five feet of water.

Rail services were cut off between Galway and Athlone, Limerick and Ennis, Carrick-on-Shannon and Longford, Dublin and Maynooth and Wicklow and Gorey.