A couple say they are lucky to be alive after Storm Eowyn ripped the gable off their home while they were asleep.
Jaro and Ingrid Fagan, originally from Slovakia but now living in Co Kerry, were asleep when the storm caused the gable above their bedroom to collapse outwards, leaving the entire upper side of their house exposed.
The couple, who live near Ceann Tra on the Dingle Peninsula, said they are "very lucky" to be alive because if the brickwork fell inwards they would have been buried underneath, the Irish Mirror reports.
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Jaro told RTE News that they were woken by the sound of a huge bang at around 3am and the gable collapsed outwards, leaving the entire roof structure exposed.
"We thought first it was the shed that had hit the house, but the shed is still sitting here. It was just a huge noise - loud," he added.
He believes a build up of pressure in the attic caused the gable to blow outwards and completely collapse.
"We are very lucky that we are alive. If it had fallen inside we would have been buried underneath it. It was just the worst nightmare you can have really," said Mr Fagan.
Mr Fagan, a well-known photographer in the Dingle area, said it was a very frightening experience as there were no lights due to the power outages.
"I called a friend and told him what had happened. They called the gardaí for us and they told us to leave the house as soon as possible and stay safe. So, we packed our dogs and off we went."
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