MEATH MUM VOWS TO REBUILD RESTAURANT AFTER DEVASTATING FIRE FOLLOWING TWO MAJOR FLOODS

A mother-of-four has vowed to rebuild her beloved Duleek business after a devastating fire gutted her restaurant — just months after the family-run venue was struck by severe storm flooding twice.

Ciara Burke, founder of Sage & Stone, a popular farmyard restaurant and family business in Duleek, Co Meath, has been left facing another major setback after a fire caused extensive damage to the premises on Friday evening.

The blaze broke out at around 6pm at Sage & Stone at Newlanes House, with several fire service units responding to the emergency.

Thick smoke and flames could be seen coming from the property as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.

Thankfully, nobody was injured.

However, the damage to the restaurant was so extensive that the business will have to be completely rebuilt.

For Burke, the timing could hardly have been more difficult.

She was in Duleek having dinner and looking forward to a week away with friends when she received a call from her daughter telling her that the business was on fire.

“We are all just traumatised and shocked,” Burke said, while stressing how grateful she was that nobody had been on the premises when the fire broke out.

36 STAFF LEFT WITHOUT WORK

One of the hardest moments for Burke was having to tell her 36 employees that they suddenly had no jobs at the Duleek premises.

The entrepreneur described her staff as much more than employees, saying they were friends and effectively part of her family.

She said their support had helped her through the many challenges the business had already faced.

Sage & Stone has become an important part of the local community, operating not only as a restaurant but also as a gift and antique shop and dog park.

The business has continually diversified in an effort to survive difficult periods and remain a destination for local families and visitors.

The company’s own website describes Sage & Stone as a family-run business based on a rural farmyard, offering fresh food, takeaway coffee, gifts and homewares, while also hosting events and markets.

TWO FLOODS HAD ALREADY CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE

The fire was not the first major disaster the business had faced this year.

Earlier in 2026, Sage & Stone was forced to close after storm water flooded the restaurant twice within a matter of weeks.

In January, Burke described water seeping up through the floors and walls after heavy rainfall and flooding.

The damage was severe enough that the restaurant’s flooring had to be stripped back and replaced.

The business later suffered another episode of storm flooding, meaning Burke had to deal with major repair work on two separate occasions.

Despite those setbacks, Burke continued operating and expanding the business.

Now, after the fire, she faces an even larger rebuilding project.

“WE WILL BE BACK”

Although the scale of the damage remains unclear, Burke has already made one thing clear: she does not intend to give up.

She said the restaurant will have to be completely rebuilt and acknowledged that there are still many unknowns, including insurance matters, assessments and paperwork.

But she is already thinking about ways to reopen while the rebuilding process continues.

In a striking example of her determination, Burke joked that she might even put up a circus tent and continue serving takeaway coffee while the main premises are being restored.

She compared the potential comeback to The Greatest Showman.

Her message to the community was simple: Sage & Stone will return in some form.

Burke said the business had become a hub for the community, making its reopening even more important to her.

“I am resilient and we will be back, bigger and better than ever,” she said.

A COMMUNITY RALLIES AROUND THE FAMILY

In the days following the fire, an outpouring of support has come from people across Duleek and beyond.

Burke said she had been overwhelmed by the kindness shown to her and her team.

People she does not regularly see have offered practical assistance, while others have offered equipment to help with the clean-up.

She said flowers, food and messages of support had been arriving constantly.

The reaction reflects the place Sage & Stone has occupied within the community.

Local residents described the venue as more than simply a restaurant, calling it a community hub and a place where people gathered for food, coffee, markets and family events.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee was also among those expressing support for Burke, Liz, Mick and the wider Sage & Stone team, saying the community would stand beside them as they rebuild.

A MAJOR EVENT HAD TO BE CANCELLED

The fire also forced the cancellation of a planned open-air flea market, which was expected to be the business’s biggest event of its kind.

The market was due to take place the day after the fire, but the devastation left the premises unusable.

Sage & Stone subsequently announced that the business would remain closed until further notice. Its official website currently carries the same closure notice following the fire.

INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY

Assessors and forensic experts have been examining the scene to determine where the fire started and establish the circumstances surrounding the blaze.

At this stage, the cause of the fire has not been publicly established.

Burke is now facing the difficult combination of rebuilding the premises, dealing with insurance and assessments, and trying to support the 36 members of her team.

Yet after surviving two major flooding incidents earlier in the year, she says the latest disaster will not be the end of Sage & Stone.

For a business that has already survived storm water, repeated repairs and now a devastating fire, the road ahead will be difficult.

But Burke’s determination to reopen has already become the central message from the Duleek community:

Sage & Stone may have been badly damaged, but its owner says its story is far from over.