As many people know Ireland is known for their very wet seasons and especially winter. Well I’m here to tell you that everything you heard about the wet winter season in Ireland is true. What is so weird though is that one minute of the day the weather could be amazingly nice and sunny… and then all of a sudden a dark storm cloud accumulates overhead and blocks the beautiful sun rays that were beaming down upon us.
When I was in New York and Alabama, I would always say I could live in Seattle or Ireland where it rains all the time and not mind it one bit. And I am here to say I still don’t mind it but would love if the sun would come out just wee bit more here in the Emerald Isle. The one thing that I don’t miss about the New York winters is the snow and the slush that those storms bring. Yes the occasional snow day was great and fun, but the shoveling was horrible and the days after in the slush and just looking at mounds of snow weren’t the best either. Especially when it was after the holiday season in January and February because at that point most everyone just wanted the warm Spring March air.
One good element about the rain all the time in Ireland is that it is very nice to listen too and sleep too. I don’t get to sleep in much but when I do I always hope that it is a rainy day (most of the time it is) and that it stays dark and cloudy out. The one bad aspect would be that the bus is always delayed when it rains. One would think that the public transit system would be used to the rain and inclement weather and would be on time but…… no. Also when I take the bus it is usually to get to Neptune which means I will be walking for about 15 to 20 minutes from the Cork city center to get there. Walking in the rain I don’t mind as much though because the helpful rain gear keeps me somewhat dry to train and coach!
I am excited to see how the spring and summer in Ireland are and I am hoping that I will see just a bit more sun and a little less rain. I’m certain it will be warmer which will be good as I hope to travel and expand my horizons as I venture to tour new scenes of Ireland and Europe.
The first thing I was taught though when I arrived here in Ireland was, always bring a rain coat with you because the weather here is sooooo unpredictable. And I have thankfully stuck by that much needed rule!!