A family owned pub on Main Street in Charleville, Co Cork has seen its outdoor area roof collapse under the weight of heavy snow leading to thousands of euro in damage.
Corina Gough, General Manager of Geary’s Bar, told the Opinion Line on Cork’s 96FM that the outdoor area fits around 500 people.
“It would be about 75 percent of our business this time of year. It is fully heated with televisions and things like that. When the electricity went we were unable to close it in and it collapsed yesterday.
"It is a retractable roof. It is a fantastic machine but it buckled. We measured up to 14 inches of snow. In severe weather warnings you open it in so that it folds up like an accordion. But if your electricity goes you are stuck. With no electricity yesterday the whole thing collapsed.”
Ms Gough says that a “serious” amount of damage has been done to the pub.
“It is even impacting on another roof out there so we can’t even get in underneath it. We can’t get up to the sheds. The steel girders around the side all buckled. They are in half.
"It is only going to get worse because it is weighing down.We have televisions and speakers furniture all ruined. Even the metal bar in the stage area has crumpled with the weight of everything.”
Ms Cough said that were surprised by how serious the situation became in such a short period of time.
“We closed up. Brought in all our furniture those sorts of things but by the time we were doing that the electricity was gone.
"Even round town on the Main Street there is gutters hanging. I know of a farm shed out the road that just caved in. I have never seen snow like it.
"Even outside there measuring 14 inches of snow on top of a telephone box. 13 inches just on top of the beer kegs. It is just sitting there now and it is turning in to blocks of ice.
"We will be closed here for a few days to get ourselves sorted.
"You have no idea the amount we have put in to that beer garden over the years. It is devastating today as it is 75 of our business this time of year.
"Even though it is an outdoor area it is heated and there is live music out there.
"We consistently upgraded over the years to a state of the heart area. We are insured but there is the pain of it all.
"We have a lot of events booked in for January and we have to cancel them all now.”
