East Mayo community in shock as pub premises collapses

By Tom Shiel

SHOCKED residents in Kilkelly woke to a nightmare this morning after hearing a loud crashing sound in the town centre shortly after 9 a.m.

The local Duffy's pub, owned by Kevin and Maureen Duffy, had collapsed into a tangled pile of debris onto the street and into an adjacent site.

In the aftermath of the emergency, gardaí confirmed that five people were taken to hospital for treatment of injuries that are believed to be non life-threatening. They were staying in AirBnB in the premises.

Local parish priest Fr. Joseph Gavigan was one of the first on the scene and described what had happened as 'utter devastation'.

He expressed gratitude that nobody had been seriously injured and praised the resilience shown by the local community in the face of the calamity.

He also expressed confidence that the community would rally round the pub owners and those affected.

Fr. Gavigan alluded to the fact that there had been a community celebration in the premises over the weekend and said the situation could have been much worse if the timing had been different.

Locals have been standing in shocked, silent clusters all morning surveying the carnage.

Local Councillor John Caulfield, speaking at the scene, said what had happened was heartbreaking but it could have been so much worse.

He said he was particularly saddened by the fact that Duffy's was a proud establishment in the town, having been there for 120 years.

Speaking of the drama as the rescue operation unfolded, there was such relief, he added, when the last person was taken out safely.

One local woman, Alannah Maher, said she was awakened by a loud bang at around 9.20 a.m. Initially there were fears there might have been fatalities but this concern was allayed by emergency teams who rushed to the scene.

Power to a number of houses in the central Kilkelly area had been cut off, with some properties now restored.

“It could have been much worse if it happened on Saturday or Sunday evening,” a local woman, who did not wish to be named, said.

She added: “A white van on the street has been submerged in the rubble. What has happened in heartbreaking but it is a miracle that nobody was killed.”

Traffic diversions remain in place in Kilkelly.

The Health and Safety Authority has been notified about the incident.