It was foreseen
Read more about: Agriculture and Rural, Climate Change, Cork, Energy, Environment, Local Government 
[edit: We were 2 days ahead of the Indo and unlike them, we provide original sources for the quotes. Read on ...]
The Cork flood. From the technical yet fascinating “Flood risk management through reservoir storage and flow control” (2001) by J. Fitzpatrick and T. Bree of ESB International –
A study was undertaken by the ESB following this [1986] flood to provide comparisons of estimated flood levels in the Lee with and without the dams. The study indicated that flood levels would have been up to 0.8m higher in the Lee from Inniscarra to Cork City without the dams.
The Lee dams have reduced significantly the extent and frequency of flooding along the Lee valley into Cork City but because of the relatively small size of the Lee reservoirs, the amount of flood alleviation reduces for the more extreme flood events. Consequently a false sense of security may occur.
The reservoirs are small relative to the Liffey system and there is substantial flow into the Lee downstream from the lower dam. But a row over flood management seems inevitable.
I read that this morning in the Indo and made a note to return and point that out. Excellent knowledge of technical flooding reports
Did Pauric White of the ESB know anything about this report or more importantly did anyone in the ESB do anything about it.