When you study Gaeilge, one of the first topics they teach is aimshir, the weather. There are dozens of Irish words to describe rain—it can lash, pour, mist, sprinkle, rain intermittently, rain “cats and dogs,” come in buckets, sheets or torrents, and so on. The weather here is remarkably mild—typically not too hot or too cold. But rain is a constant feature. It’s the reason why the grass is abundant and green.
But rain in Ireland is not the same as the rain I experienced living in the mid-Atlantic U.S. While it may rain every day, there are very few days when it rains all day. We might wake up to showers or wet pavement and then be greeted by a glorious sunny day. Or it may alternate rain and sun every 10-20 minutes all day long.
The big issue with Irish weather is the wind. We live near the coast and gale force winds are not uncommon. Coupled with the rain, the wind can be fierce. Twice I’ve been roused from sleep as wind and rain pummeled the house at night. It felt like a hurricane, but it was all within the range of normal.
The alternating rain and sun create perfect conditions for rainbows, which are a common (almost daily) occurrence. I’ve seen more rainbows in the last six weeks than in the previous five decades. It’s glorious.
Last week I drove from Westport to Belmullet, a trip that takes me through Ballycroy National Park. It’s a lonely road through 1,000 hectares of Atlantic blanket bog, rugged mountainous terrain, and pine forests. It was raining in Belmullet as I started home, and when I reached Ballycroy, I could see it was raining in Mulranny on the other side. But the park was clear, illuminated with the most spectacular sun. There were low-lying clouds and the sun danced through them as the wind pushed them toward the sea. I’ve never seen clouds move like they did over the bog.
As I approached Mulranny, the road twists and curves along the sea1 and the rain poured furiously for the rest of the trip.
My drive through Ballycroy highlights the beauty of Irish weather. Yes, it rains almost every day, but not all day, and the transitions are usually spectacular.
I assume the area is a bay, but it could be a tidal lake.