A church building in Ruan in Co Clare has been damaged as a result of a lightning strike.
The timber spire of the church crashed to the ground in flames after it was struck in the early hours of this morning.
While firefighters prepared to tackle the blaze, the spire collapsed onto the ground before them.
A family home in the area was also extensively damaged in what is believed to have been a lightning strike.
The family had been away for the night and no injuries were reported.
The alarm was raised at 3.45am when people heard a loud bang and the church spire of St. Mary's Church was ablaze.
Emergency services were called and units of Clare County Fire and Rescue from Ennis station attended the scene.
The fire was brought under control before it spread to the main church building.
Emergency services were also called to a nearby family home which was also on fire, believed to have been caused by a lightning strike.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The house has been extensively damaged by the fire.
A major clean-up operation is under way by the local community, around the church grounds.
While the main building of the church suffered some water damage, it was otherwise relatively unscathed.
However the church's electrical system was damaged with power sockets reported to have been blown off the wall or burned out.
Parish Priest Fr Pat O’Neill said it was a frightening experience for residents.
"I heard a loud bang and I thought it was just lightning. But then somebody came and banged on my door and said the church spire was on fire.
"It was ablaze but luckily it was contained. However a home of a local family has been totally destroyed, so it’s very upsetting for the whole community," he added.
Dónal Ó hAiniféin said that he witnessed the lightning strike followed by a very loud rumble of lightning.
"It was frightening. I have never witnessed anything like it," Mr O hAiniféin said.
Ruan church, Co Clare after a lightening strike this morning. pic.twitter.com/6FDuvS3MW7
— Darragh McAllister (@lucasbarEnnis) December 22, 2024
Another resident Damien Pilkington explained: "My daughter came in around 3.45am and said there was something wrong. My son thought the house was on fire. My wife has lived here all her life and she said she had never witnessed anything like it, it was like a bomb went off outside."
The community is hopeful that some services can be held in the church over the Christmas period.
However it will be a more difficult period for the local family who have returned to the house with one person saying that virtually everything in the family home has been destroyed by the fire.
