Irish weather lore preserved a deep understanding of our world

In an era of climate uncertainty, Irish weather lore points to something we risk losing: the habit of paying attention to what nature is telling us, writes Karol Mullaney Dignam

In the past, before fishermen set out to sea they watched the skies. File picture: David Creedon

Long before meteorology and climate science, Irish people looked to the natural world to forecast the weather and make sense of their surroundings. They read the skies, the seas and the behaviour of animals for signs of change.

This weather lore — known as seanchas i dtaobh na haimsire in Irish — was grounded in generations of observation and shared through memorable sayings or rhymes. One familiar example is: “Red sky at night is a shepherd’s delight; red sky in the morning is a shepherd’s warning.”