Irish weather

It is so typical to start any conversation with a discussion about the weather that I feel this collection of observations about Ireland should definitely begin with my relationship with Irish weather. And yes, I was truly surprised by how often it can change here.

I was used to very different kinds of weather. My country has a fairly continental climate, with proper snow in winter and hot summers. I know the joy of sledding down hills on plastic bags, skating, and skiing. I am used to temperatures reaching 40°C in summer.

But here, there are no skis and no heat strokes - just something new every fifteen minutes. And there is this very unique feeling: you can be cold and hot at the same time. At first, I even had the strange impression that something was wrong with my perception of things. But no. It is just the weather.

Truth to be told, I never worried too much about the weather during my time in Ireland. I always had plenty of other problems to think about. In fact, I often wished that the weather was my only problem.

At the same time, my body was quite disappointed with the local summer. As a result, I developed some strange health issues that I had never experienced before, such as inflammation in the muscles of my leg. I tried every ointment available at the pharmacy, but it disappeared completely only after I spent an evening in a warm jacuzzi.

In fact, I clearly remember that there were only two occasions when I did not feel cold that first summer. The first was in that jacuzzi. The second was when the afternoon sun had been shining on my car for a couple of hours. I simply sat inside with a book, enjoying the pleasant feeling of warmth and relaxation.

I also clearly remember my first time at the beach in Ireland. It was during the first week I arrived in the country. I went for a walk on Bray Beach. I was wearing a coat and a hat. I saw people undressing and going for a swim. I have seen people diving into icy water in winter before (I have even tried it once myself), but usually it happens very quickly - you do some exercises, go into the water, and come back out straight away. That time in Bray was completely different. They went swimming and then played ball games while staying in the water, as if it were Barcelona and the air temperature was not 12°C. I even checked the temperature of the water, thinking it might actually be warm. But no - it was as cold as the wind. I was shivering and felt quite impressed by the resilience of the Irish people.

In Ireland, I finally understood that kind of fashion: puffer jackets, hats, and shorts all at once. Children playing in T-shirts and shorts at 10°C (in Ukraine, they would be wearing hats and coats and might even be reported to social services for neglect). But the local reality is different, and over time it changed me as well.

Once, after two years in Ireland, I flew to Valencia in early spring. I found myself as the only person in a T-shirt on the street - everyone else was wearing coats. I was even a little proud to admit that I had developed some resistance to the cold.

There are no distinct seasonal changes in Ireland, so there is no strong need to change a car’s tires. But it was scary for me to drive on summer tires when, on a couple of occasions, we had snow and icy roads. Once, I was even unable to stop properly, and I was very glad that I had the good habit of always keeping enough distance. Not using winter tires in the cold season is considered a very bad and irresponsible thing where I come from, so I felt very guilty every time I had to do it.

Another interesting observation is that, even though rain is quite common in Ireland, umbrellas often seem pretty useless. This is because the rain is usually very light, or because strong winter winds can blow you away toward the UK shores.

Anyway, Irish weather is definitely not something you should trust, but not something to be disappointed by either. I have never really complained about the Irish weather. I just always carry my coat and sunglasses. Irish weather has taught me optimism: even if there are only dark clouds around, there is still always a chance of an unexpected line of sunshine. And it happens.