May shocker: strong winds, squally showers, even the potential for wintry showers

Meteorite58 wrote: »

Very interesting

Have a distant memory of that, looked it up and found this on Duchas


This is a collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in the 1930s




And below an interesting link with the Cuckoo to Scaraveen from the Irish Independent

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/bad-weather-is-price-of-the-cuckoos-misdeeds-31109871.html

Letters
Letters to the Editor

March 31 2015 11:15 PM

Strolling out from Mass on Saturday evening, a friendly neighbour - aware that I am a year-round sea swimmer - jocosely advised me to stay out of the sea until "Scaraveen" has passed. Her reference to "Scaraveen" reminded me of a gifted teacher who taught me Irish, history and geography in Tralee CBS.

I always enjoyed this particular teacher's classes, as he had a wonderful way of blending his extensive general knowledge seamlessly into his teaching. When it came to Irish culture, folklore, history and sport he was without equal. So, while I have heard and read many definitions of "Scaraveen," I have never deviated from my former teacher's description.

According to him, "Scaraveen" is an anglicising of the Irish phrase "garbh shion na gcuach", which means "the rough weather of the cuckoo". The Irish term gradually became "garbh shion", then "Garaveen" and, finally, "Scaraveen."

The cuckoo winters in sub-Saharan Africa and returns to Europe in early spring. She is a solitary bird, more often heard than seen. The familiar "cuck-oo cuck-oo" call heralds the beginning of spring, when the cuckoo returns to our shores.

The cuckoo, one of the most infamous brood parasites, lays her eggs in the nests of small song birds with precision timing. Once hatched, the cuckoo chicks eject the legitimate occupants and are then fed by the unsuspecting foster parents. The cuckoo chick is already a true master of deception.

Folklore has it that "Scaraveen" is nature's way of exacting retribution on the cuckoo for the havoc she causes in the bird world. From about April 15 to May 15, mild spring weather has been known to revert to cold, wet miserable weather, which is more typical of winter. Unfortunately, we all pay the price for the cuckoo's misdeeds.

I'm sure Evelyn Cusack and the Met Éireann team can come up with a scientific explanation for the phenomenon of "Scaraveen" and, indeed, the much maligned cuckoo may be an entirely innocent party. But, until they do, I'll stick with my former teacher's definition.

Billy Ryle

Tralee, Co Kerry

ratracer wrote: »

It’s wet and wild in South Galway for the last couple of hours now, pretty much as forecast. Not much left on the cherry blossom tree.

SleetAndSnow wrote: »

Wild, wild morning here on the west cork coast. Very heavy rain since around 4am. Winds picked up massively and the trees are bending at times with all the leaves on them. Mad! Love a good storm though