What’s the weather in Ireland?

Learn a few Irish sayings for possible weather forecasting

Dingle Peninsula
Featured photo above – This is a countryside view on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland, 2018. Learn more about Dingle, and planning a trip to Ireland at Ireland.com.

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Jannet L. Walsh
March 27, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota USA

What’s the weather in Ireland?

“It’s a soft day.”

Irish weather talk – This refers to the good kind of rain – a gentle mist that makes our green landscape almost glow. Not to be confused with “a dirty old day” – that’s the bad rain.
View at original source, Ireland.com.

It’s seems most people traveling to Ireland want to know about the weather while preparing for travel. Ireland can have four seasons in one day. Packing clothing to keep dry, like a coat or jacket, umbrella, waterproof boots is needed year round, along with warm layers, or a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes. Just be ready for the weather to change as the day changes, and you will be prepared for Irish weather.

I’ve recently found a page about Irish weather at the official tourism website of Ireland to help answer questions about the changing weather.

Using the Irish weather dial – Visit the weather page at Ireland.com, select the city, and the month, or day range you are interested in exploring! See photo below of the weather the Irish weather dial application.

Go to Ireland.com and find out about the weather year round in Ireland. See link below, with forecast data provided by The Irish Meteorological Service, met.ie

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How to talk about weather like the Irish

“The sun is splitting the stones.” The heat from the shy Irish sun soaks into the stones and warms us from the ground up. Often followed by complaints about how it’s almost too hot.

“That wind would cut you in two.” A wind so sharp and so cold, it could actually do harm. This wind often comes from the east, which may explain why so many Irish people are suspicious of the east wind.

“It’s a soft day.” This refers to the good kind of rain – a gentle mist that makes our green landscape almost glow. Not to be confused with “a dirty old day” – that’s the bad rain.

View at original source, Ireland.com.

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Weather sayings from Ireland
National Folklore Collection of Ireland

Learn a few antiquated Irish sayings for possible weather forecasting

“If the cat sits near the fire it is a sign of rain.”

ARCHIVAL REFERENCE, The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0208, Page 425, Image and data © National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin. View original source.

• March winds and April shower brings forth May flowers.
•  The oak before the ash there will only be a splash. But the ash before the oak there will be a soak.
• A January Spring is worth nothing.
•  If the smoke goes through the house it is a sign of rain.
• If there is a rainbow in the east on Friday it is the sign of a brittle week next week.
  
  
  Read more sayings about Irish weather at duchas.ie, National Folklore Collection of Ireland.
  
  

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Tweets by MetEireann

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About the writer – Jannet L. Walsh, of Murdock, Minnesota, is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and her other social media channels, with hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

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