A good summer’s just a phrase away

On the first day of spring folklore fan Margaret Neylon examines the signs our ancestors used to predict the weather

IF you’re planning a ‘staycation’ this year, you’re sure to want to know what the weather will be for the summer months before making any commitment. But with Ireland lying in the most westerly landmass of Europe, and subject to the vagaries of the westerly winds and the Gulf Stream, it often seems virtually impossible to predict what the weather will offer us over the next hour, let alone the next month or two.

However, our ancestors who lived pastoral lives where their future depended on sowing the right crop at the right time, developed many diverse ways to look into the future. It wasn’t just necessary to look to the skies, there were many other areas which warned of upcoming elemental changes.