Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould told The Echo: “A lot of people were upset and frustrated that they had no water almost the whole day on Stephen’s Day which is a big family day.

“Some got it back late that night, but it was just a trickle, there was no pressure.

“It affected a huge amount of people in Glanmire, in Sarsfield Court, Bleach Hill, Castlejane, Richmond Rise, and Springmount — so a huge portion of Glanmire was affected by it.”

Mr Gould reported that, as of this afternoon, water pressure was still not returned to normal in several areas.

“People were frustrated by the length of time it took to get the water back, “ the Sinn Féín TD said.

“You can’t do anything about burst mains, but it was surprising that it happened at Christmas.”

Mr Gould added that people “were left scrambling, trying to find shops that were open so they could buy water”.

“They’re confused about why it took so long.

“It was just a disaster really, a very awkward time for it to happen.

“Over the holidays people want to sit back and relax, not be running around trying to find water.”