What’s believed to be the highest pub in Ireland, on the Cork-Kerry border, burned to the ground last night.
The Top of Coom pub, between Cúil Aodha and Kilgarvan, was an iconic venue which was the spiritual home of traditional music and song.
Owner Tim Creedon was taken to hospital last night to be treated for smoke inhalation after fire broke out in the pub at around 9.15pm.
His four children and wife Eileen were in the residential part of the property when the blaze broke out and managed to escape uninjured.
A customer in the pub at the time was also unhurt.
Three units of the Kerry County Fire Service battled the blaze until 4.45am but the building has been destroyed.
The fire started accidentally and is believed to have originated from the pub’s open fire.
The Top of Coom has been associated through the years with figures including Sean Ó Riada and Cór Cúil Aodha, with regular music and singing sessions taking place there.
It was also a popular stop-off point for walkers, mystery tours and hen and stag parties on route elsewhere.
The pub was 1,045ft above sea level, earning it the title of Ireland’s Highest Pub.