Days after a rideshare driver slammed into an Irish pub in Arlington, Virginia, injuring 15 people and sparking a fire, its managers hope to reopen, and the community is pushing for them to rebuild.
Dave Cahill, a manager at Ireland’s Four Courts on Wilson Boulevard, returned Monday, trying to make sense of how parts of his business had turned to rubble.
“We’re a family restaurant,” Cahill said. “Right now, we’re thinking of the families. It’s a lot to process.”
Police say a rideshare driver crashed into the pub on Friday afternoon. As of Monday afternoon, one person remained in critical condition and two others at the hospital were stable.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
The community is rallying behind Ireland’s Four Courts. A GoFundMe page to help has raised more than $67,000 in donations in two days, soaring past its original goal.
County survey teams were out Monday morning inspecting the damage in the bottom part of the bar and assessing the electrical grid.
Cara Anastasio walked by the boarded-up windows and remembered all the times she and her fiancé had stopped by one of their favorite places.
Ireland’s Four Courts is where they had their first date.
“It’s heartbreaking because it was a community staple. They’ve been around for a long time,” she told News4. “I hope that they can rebuild, they reopen and the community comes back to support them.”
Cahill says his intention is to reopen.
“It’s going to be a process. You know, today is day one, and we’re still thinking about the victims,” he said.
