Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow. Thanks.
Snow in Co. Tipperary
According to 61 year old Michael Gallagher from Glenfin Valley, a remote area of Co. Donegal, Ireland is definitely going to enjoy a white Christmas this year. Using absolutely no modern meterological techniques to predict the weather, he instead uses traditional methods that have been handed down to him from previous generations.
And this prediction is all the more special when you consider how rare it is for Ireland to get any snow in the winter (never mind falling on the one day you really want it). I remember only one time during my short 29 years that we were blessed with a blanket of the white stuff on a Christmas morning. That year we were all so excited to see snow that we ran out into the back yard, blissfully unaware of the cold and the wet underfoot. In fact, I seem to remember disregarding my shoes and donning a pair of tissue boxes on my feet in a rush to get out the door.
And how does he do this? “Predicting one day precisely is very hard to pull off, but I’m almost definite — about 90 per cent,” he said.
“When the sun shines on to the (Blue Stack) mountains, and down to the lowlands it’s turning a reddish-brown colour, that’s a sign of snow.
“The sheep and the cattle are going mad too, shaking themselves, coming in off the mountains and coming to the gate.
“And I noticed the other day, the fox is getting very busy, looking for hens and howling at two in the morning.
“There’s a hunger in everything, they want to be fed because they know what is coming. These are ‘moving signs’ that things are going to happen.”
Are you expecting snow where you are? Does snow on a Christmas day have a special meaning for you?
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