Well-known pub evacuated as storm unleashes damage on roadway outside

The customers of a well-known pub/restaurant were hoping for a lock-in as the storm raged, but as its owner surveyed the massive damage being inflicted outside his premises there was only one option: evacuation.

Pearse O’Sullivan, who runs the Bulman at Summercove, Kinsale, said the storm started to unleash its power at around 7.30pm on Tuesday and it raged for two hours.

“It got so hairy we had to block the road outside because we knew it was going to collapse. People were still trying to drive down it and I knew somebody would end up in the tide.”

His prompt action probably saved lives. During the light of day yesterday it became apparent how much damage was done.

In places there was just one foot of tarmac left outside the bar. Where the road used to be was a huge crater. The sea walls had been battered to bits and the sewerage pump house in the adjoining car park was “blown apart”.

“At around 9pm we were worried the tide was going to come into the pub, so we evacuated the bar customers upstairs and out the back. They were hoping for a lock-in, but we couldn’t risk it,” Pearse said. “We got very badly flooded four years ago and swore that wouldn’t happen again. We put up our flood defences and they worked.”

Tom Stritch, a director of service with Cork County Council, said the damage inflicted in the Summercove area represented the “most significant structural damage in the county”.

In Youghal, people prepared for the storm by pushing sandbags and any barriers they could find in front of their homes and businesses.

Brown Street and a small section of North Main Street bore the brunt of the tidal flooding while all the “back streets” by the quays were also impassable.

Significant damage was inflicted on local beaches. The car park walls at Claycastle were breached and sections of the beachside walkway by the Butts, near Redbarn, were blown away by the ferocity of the waves.

“The water is coming into areas it has never hit before.

“We have received planning permission to extend the boardwalk from Claycastle to Redbarn. In my opinion the route will now have to be put back further inland to protect it,” Councillor Barbara Murray said.

The beach at Fountainstown also received a battering and rocks were thrown up onto the car park and nearby road, with a similar scene at Garrettstown, Kinsale.

Cobh and Great Island were cut off again for a number of hours on Tuesday night as high tide spilled over Belvelly bridge and forced the cancellation of trains.

Cllr Cathal Rasmussen said that OPW minister Brian Hayes will be asked to build up the walls at Belvelly bridge as an intermediate solution to prevent the area being repeatedly cut off.

There were also flooding problems at Carrigaline’s main street and on the Crosshaven road and at Passage West.

Midleton got another battering with serious flooding at Baelick Road and Lower Main Street.

Mr Stritch said some homes were also flooded on Dwyer’s Road and in Whitegate.

Meanwhile, county council staff were working yesterday to clear the Kilworth-Araglin road following a mud slide.

The council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team (SWAT) have been holding teleconferencing meetings on a regular basis since last Thursday.

“All area roads offices remain on alert and drains are being cleaned at known flooding hotspots. We are also distributing sandbags where needed,” said a county council spokesman.