Ill wind blows them away

AS the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens: in the case of Mellerick’s Pharmacy in Fermoy, that aphorism might need to be changed to include mention of ceilings and chimneys.

Why so? Because the storms of February 12 2014 caused a chimney from No 16, Patrick Street, Fermoy, to crunch into the pharmacy in No 18, prompting the business to relocate to No 24.

It turned out to be a lucky number, as just two years ago the owners who had acquired this building made a wonderful discovery. Pulling down a lowered ceiling, buyer/owner of No 24, builder Bertie Gowen discovered a beautifully ornate vaulted pitch-pine ceiling, thought to date back to 1900 or thereabouts, which alongside some other features have been lovingly restored.