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Ireland can forget about going green for St Patrick’s Day – arctic snow is set to turn the country a whiter shade of pale once again.
Donegal postman Michael Gallagher, world famous as an amateur weatherman, has predicted a Snow White Paddy’s Day next week.
Gallagher has warned that heavy snow is on the way back to Ireland as a severe weather front approaches from the Arctic and it could stay into April.
The Glenfin postman got it right when he warned of the heavy snow storms that crippled the country before and after Christmas.
Now the best-selling author is predicting that the current mild weather is only the calm before the storm ahead of the national festivities.
“I knew this would not be the end of our winter. Spring arrived far too early for my liking. There are flowers and buds out on the trees and berries everywhere on the holly bushes. It’s all just too early,” Gallagher told the Irish Examiner.
“I think we’re going to have a severe cold snap in the coming days and I even think that St Patrick could be white, never mind green, this year.”
Author of a book on amateur weather prediction, Traditional Weather Signs, Gallagher bases his predictions on the conditions he meets on his rounds as a postman.
A firm believer that Mother Nature always points towards the forthcoming weather conditions, he is widely regarded as the foremost authority on the Irish climate and its behavior.
Last December, bookies paid out over $100,000 early on his prediction for a White Christmas.
“Nature is rarely wrong. The fact that this cold spell is coming with the arrival of the full moon is not good either,” added Gallagher.
“Even after the snow I think we’re in for a lot of very bad storms.”
To add credence to Gallagher’s claims, both national broadcaster RTE and the BBC television meteorologists in Ulster have predicted snow will land in Ireland by the weekend.
3 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.peterson | Mar 09, 2011, 12:45 PM EST
Why don't we seed the clouds with GREEN dye ?? "tis worth a try don't you think ??
jacersagain | Mar 08, 2011, 07:22 PM EST
Whaaat?.... White? What will ICentral’s winner of their wonderfully precious prize to be present in Ireland for Saint Patrick’s Day think? - Maybe think like “I should pack my bags with cold-defeating clothes, cold-defeating make-up and cold-defeating smallies.” Ah, shure... whatever... the weather, there’ll be a warm welcome for her in the parlour for her and her red hair and humour at the Ceili Mor. Whatevertheweather (sic). Oops Alors!!
aoibhinn | Mar 08, 2011, 12:30 PM EST
It does usually seem to be icy or sleety during that time. I always feel sorry for anyone, especially cheerleaders (short skirts), who come over for the parade. There was one year in the past 12 years that it was warm and we were having a BBQ.