Wind damaged clock removed from Ballyshannon Town Centre

The centre of Ballyshannon is reopening to traffic this morning after being sealed off for four days becauase of concerns over a wind damaged clock.
The 136 year old clock over a jewellers shop was damaged by strong gusts on Thursday, and left in a dangerous condition.
Yesterday, workers mounted a 30-metre high crane to remove the clock face so business could return to Ballyshannon by this morning.
Traders had expressed concern because traffic was diverted away from the town after thestreet below the 136-year-old clock was closed on council and Garda orders following 100 kilometre an hour winds on Thursday.
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The gust which struck on Thursday left the clock face hanging precariously with one chunk of steel below the quarter-to-hour blown away and the top leaning back several inches in the stone fitting and the bottom jutting out.
Only the wooden hour hand resting against the six prevented the clock-face from falling.
The clock sat atop a tower above Gallogley Jewellery in a building constructed in 1878 by the Belfast Bank which later became the Royal Bank.