Watch: Roof of family-owned Cork pub collapses after heavy snow 

A section of the collapsed roof in Charleville, Co Cork.

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.

Many parts of the country saw heavy snowfall on Sunday and more could be on the way after Met Éireann issued a status yellow snow and ice warning for the country, which is in place until midday on Tuesday.

Geary’s Bar general manager Corina Gough said the outdoor area fits around 500 people. She said they were unable to close the retractable roof due to electricity problems.

“It would be about 75% 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 told the Opinion Line on Cork’s 96FM that they were surprised by how serious the situation became in such a short period of time.

“We closed up. Brought in all our furniture and those sorts of things but by the time we were doing that [closing the roof] the electricity was gone.

"Even around 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 they're 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 into 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 into that beer garden over the years. It is devastating today as it is 75% of our business this time of year.

Ms Gough said they are insured "but there is the pain of it all". She added that a lot of events had been booked for January which will now have to be cancelled.