The Emerald Isle is no more. Unusually for this time of year (or for any time of year) there has been no rain for weeks (apologies if it is belting down as you read this). The River Bredagh is very shallow which would mean that there is a high concentration of sewage which will not be good for the offspring of the trout who were filmed in the river late last year by local man Anthony Craig.
I remember my Uncle John once saying that it was the rain that kept the Emerald Isle green and lush. However, it is not looking so at the moment. Indeed the colour of the grass resembles that of a Mediterranean country in high summer. It’s more of a yellow, straw-like colour than the normal lush green.
Although it is nice for non-farmers not to be getting a good soaking most days it can’t be good for the farmers and the crops. Rain is predicted for later this week but it is only a possibility rather than a certainty.
One suspects that this is only temporary and not a long-term trend in the weather and that the rain will return – especially in July and August. You never know though. This might just be he barbecue summer that youngsters under 20 have no memory of in Moville.