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THE PARISH PRIEST of a church that caught fire after being struck by lightning on Sunday in Clare said the community is “very, very lucky” the fire did not spread.
The timber spire of the church in Ruan crashed to the ground in flames after it was struck by lightning in the early hours of the morning.
The alarm was raised at around 3.45am when emergency services were alerted to a fire at the church.
It’s been reported that a ‘huge flash of lightning’ was seen and a ‘massive bang’ heard at across a wide area of Clare around the same time. Moments later, the first calls reporting several incidents in the Ruan area were received.
Speaking on the incident, local parish priest Fr Pat O’Neill said the main church building did not sustain any significant damage but that the electricity and heating were impacted.
Fr O’Neill said the spire took fire “very quickly”, adding that it was lucky the steeple did not collapse onto the main building of the church, and that the fire was brought under control before it could spread.
“If the steeple had fallen on the church, everything would have been gone. We were very, very lucky, I feared the whole church could be gone” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“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.
While the main building suffered some water damage, it was otherwise relatively unscathed. The church’s electrical system was however damaged with power sockets reported to have been blown off the wall or burned out.
While fire crews were dealing with that incident, they received a report of a house on fire nearby, also believed to have been caused by lightning. There were also reports that electricity poles and transformers were struck by lightning.
Fr O’Neill said he is hopeful that some services can be held in the church over the Christmas period.
“We will have midnight Mass here tomorrow night somewhere,” Fr O’Neill said.
“If we don’t have it in the church, we will have it in the hall but we will have it here for sure and, if it’s possible, to have it in the church we will have it in the church.”
It’s expected that the church tower will have been inspected by structural engineers and further efforts to make the building safe may also be required.
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Why do anti-church trolls feel the need to gloat and make “jokes”, which aren’t in the slightest bit amusing, at the misfortune of others?
@Winklepicker: because atheists want you to know that they’re atheists, just like those annoying sea swimmers and vegans
@Winklepicker: Because we’re better than you.
@Winklepicker: because the irony is too delicious to pass up
@Winklepicker: Poor defenceless Catholic Church. How dare they pick on it? What has it ever done to them?
Oh….yes…all those crimes….and the influence they still hold over our society
@Fester and Anal: forgot marathon runners and cyclists
@Ronan Mc: the Catholic Church has done a lot of good in it’s near two thousand year history. Also what teaching of the church do you disagree with
@Winklepicker:
It all stems from anger. People with sad lives, bitter at the world because of their own failings. A need to feel superior to others. They get particularly upset at this time of the year, not being able to join in the celebrations and all that.
@Pork Hunt:
And pilots, don’t forget them !
What about a collection for the family that lost their home . Church does not keep anybody warm and dry when the doirs are locked every evening
@Kevin O’Connell: were they not insured? Tough luck if they weren’t
An Act of God.
@Liam Byrne: one would have thought that this god would have protected his own, if he exists.
@Liam Byrne: I always find it odd, that religious people and even more, the cleric, is talking about representing an almighty God, but then fail to blame him, if “God’s House” gets burned down.
I hope they can arrange something for the people who’re looking for the comfort of a mass over the next days.
‘While we could claim on the insurance, the Bishop thinks it’d be better to have a collection. No point spending our own money or putting up our insurance premiums with a claim when these fools will pay for it.’
A snall investment in a lightening rod and earth straps down the side of the building would have saved the thing.
Putting up a timber structure without that was just plain daft.
@David Corrigan: do you have specific information regarding the absence of a lightning protection earth system?
@Thomas Sheridan: They were thinking that god would protect them. Well, no…
@Alex: That’s just a smart arŝe comment, made to belittle the many good people of the church and parish. I’m pretty sure that you would be more reluctant to make those comments in relation to a mosque.
Anyway, they would surely have known that God doesn’t protect wooden church spires after watching the notre dame fire.
@Thomas Sheridan: why does God not protect his people like he did all through the old testament? It’s almost as if it’s mythology and he doesn’t exist, isn’t it?
@Dermot Blaine: blasphemy is never good. Take care
@Thomas Sheridan: I don’t think so. @alex comment was the truth. #afairystory
@Thomas Sheridan:
Exactly, lightning rods can and do fail. Enough current will light them up like a bulb filament.
The church is gone. Only the elderly and the gullible support the church. Oh and the far right muppets who suddenly found jebus. Lol.
@Ted Daly:
Another angry atheist ! Is it because you can’t celebrate Christmas along with everyone else ?
@Regular John: I’m an athiest but can I prove beyond doubt there is no god or higher power of some sort? No. But can I say 100% beyond doubt that the god of the Abrahamic traditions and the Bible does not exist? Yes. It is mythology and it’s obviously, proveably, mytholigy.
@Dermot Blaine: Prove it then, Dermot.
@Aindriu MacCuartaigh: that tosser couldn’t prove if it’s night time, don’t be minding him
@Aindriu MacCuartaigh: read the bible side by side with other mythologies such as the Egyptian Book of the dead, Mythras, Gilgamesh, Greek mythology etc. You will find the same ideas, the same stories, repeated. Even the life of Jesus in the gospels is nothing new, his birth from a virgin, his death, his parables etc are reflections of other contemporary myths. The early church fathers were well aware of this. Their explanation : Satan created these other identical stories and planted them to make it look like the Jesus story was just another myth. The early Christians were a laughing stock amongst contempories for believing what everyone else knew was myth, to be fact. You do the same as the first Christians by insisting your version of mythology is fact and all the others are fiction.
@Dermot Blaine: suppose it’s to each their own
@Dermot Blaine: can you tell me exactly which myths you are speaking about can you tell me which myths are the same as the gospels. Also the idea that Christians were a laughing stock amongst their comteperies is such a silly point. But of course you know everything I’m sure
@Dermot Blaine: Could we not then speculate that, if there are many myths and fables similiar to the bible story, there could be truth to these stories? From a smaller population of ancient peoples who had contact each other?
My point is Dermot, you are speculating, as am I.
You cannot prove the God of the bible doesn’t exist… No one can.
Lay off the atheism preaching. Faith gives many people hope.
@Aindriu MacCuartaigh: well he was responding to a mocking/trolling post by Regular John, so maybe the atheism preaching is justified
@Kevin Kerr:
Kinda like the post I replied to. Did you miss that one ?
@Dermot Blaine:
None of what you say are anything other than your own beliefs. Atheists think they have all the facts, when all they have are their own opinions and nothing more. I’m not even religious myself, I have beliefs but I’m more of a “gonna sit on the fence awhile” guy when it comes down to it. Agnostics have it right, the existence of a divine God is unknown and unknowable.
Insurance fire policy , should includes Lighting .
@sakk sa: Maybe also lightning?
Another mass, anyone?
Maybe instead of a church spire collection, they should hold a collection for the poor family who have lost their home and possessions, including all the Santa presents. There’s very little mention of how or where they’re going to spend Christmas.
Hopefully will be fully repaired soon
have your say