A section of Ennis town centre had to be closed earlier in the interests of public safety, after a large piece of metal roofing was discovered hanging dangerously off a three-storey shop building in the town.
The copper sheeting - believed to weigh around three quarters of a tonne – is understood to have blown off the roof of a nearby building where construction work was going on.
It may have blown off last Sunday during Storm Franklyn, but was only noticed today.
Clare Fire services were called in to begin work on removing the roofing, and O'Connell street, High Street, Bank Place, and Old Friary lane were closed for public safety reasons.
The roofing material had to be lifted by crane onto the street below before the area could be declared safe just after lunchtime.
Clare County Council says the town centre streets have now reopened.
Ennis Chamber Chief Executive Margaret O'Brien said it was an incredibly lucky escape and a miracle that nobody was hurt.
She said the centre of the town came to a standstill at lunchtime as the emergency services removed the copper structure, which was precariously balanced on the shop roof, having been blown from the roof of a building two streets away.
