First signs of relief from Storm Eowyn, but Ireland still counting the cost
The detritus of Eowyn crackles and crunches underfoot in Lahinch.
Smashed roof slates mix with the remains of guttering, plants, shattered glass and a dead blackbird.
All spattered in slimy sea foam, whipped up from the Atlantic and served fast over the surf shops on the promenade.
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And yet, as the howling winds started to subside mid-morning here, residents appeared relieved that the record-breaking storm did not inflict more damage.
Patsy Glynn, a retired nurse, tentatively poked her head out of her period home on Main Street.
She's "relieved" there was no high tide or storm surge, which in a 2014 storm resulted in the flooding of her home.
"It was scary, very scary," she says of the early hours today. "I didn't sleep a wink."
She cradles Lucky, a 14-year-old bichon. "Lucky jumped up into the bed with me when the winds started, and wouldn't leave," says Patsy.
The dog feels better now the power has been restored.
A severed TV aerial lies outside Patsy's back door, which is protected by a pop-up flood barrier. "I think that's next door's," she says.
A few metres down the street, James Logan is hunched over a pile of shattered tiles, sweeping them into small piles. He wants to bring the debris indoors so the winds don't hurl them through the air.
It's his good deed for the morning, although the red alert is still in effect and he should really be indoors.
"Ah sure it could have been worse," he tells us, eyes still streaming. "I've got a helmet on under here," he says, pulling back his hoodie to reveal what appears to be a bicycle helmet.
There are broken windows, lacy voiles whipping in the wind above the street, the indoors brought out.
A sturdy council bin has been uprooted from its concrete base and lies in the middle of the street like a wounded Dalek.
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There's muck everywhere. But as the storm ploughs its relentless furrow northwards, there's a sense in towns like Lahinch and Ennistymon that County Clare may have just gotten away with it.
It's early days, and damage assessment is ongoing, but many we have spoken to are just relieved it wasn't worse.