Raining Again: The Battle of Irish Skies and Irish Stars

By Ciarán Mallon

With the recent spell of great weather we’ve been experiencing in Ireland – clear skies, warm evenings, and plenty of sun – now is the perfect time to consider how truly awful the weather can be in Ireland. And I’m sure when I say awful, you know that I don’t mean dangerous, or extreme, just very, very consistent. Trying its very best to ruin any event you could plan for. This is particularly frustrating as an astronomer in Ireland, and it continues to be the bane of many of our existences. 

The recent partial solar eclipse was one such event that the lovely Irish weather decided to interrupt. With almost all of the island having cloud coverage, many took to social media to rag on how little visibility of the solar eclipse there was. Most decided to celebrate the eclipse by posting pictures of the pointedly glum overcast weather, only slightly contrasting with some of the near perfect images taken from around the world showcasing the phenomenon. 

Eclipses have long been a rare sight in Ireland due to the bad weather; ancient Irish astronomers must have had the patience of saints, spending hours staring at a sky that mostly resembled a wet tea towel. Even the most determined stargazers are regularly defeated, not by technical problems or light pollution, but by good old-fashioned clouds rolling in at the exact wrong moment. 

Ancient people here were just as fascinated by the heavens as we are, even as they faced the same weather woes. Newgrange in county Meath, for example, is perfectly aligned with the winter solstice sunrise such that light enters a tiny window illuminating the entire chamber inside, a feat of prehistoric engineering [1]. Yet it does make you wonder how many solstices went by under solid cloud cover, as our ancestors stood around awkwardly in the mist, waiting for the sun to make its grand entrance. 

Meteor showers? In Ireland, they’re usually just a concept rather than a visible event. Every August, eager observers look forward to the Perseids, one of the most stunning meteor showers of the year. And every August, we are reliably reminded that a thick ceiling of cloud won’t really care about your enthusiasm.  

The few weeks of summer we do get, sometimes that’s in early May and sometimes that’s right at the start of September, tend not to line up with any important night sky events throughout the year. And even in the middle of summer you can certainly expect that even with clear skies being forecast, there is always that chance of a bit of cloud showing up just to get in the way. Stargazing forecasts here are less about “clear skies” and more a creative writing exercise in managing expectations. 

Thankfully, due to Ireland’s lacking population, the light pollution away from larger cities is minimal. This allows for amazing observations when the weather does permit. Additionally, there are numerous dark sky locations across the country, dedicated places for night sky observations with very low light pollution.  

Dark Sky Ireland oversees three locations; The Wild Nephin National Park in Mayo becomes the Mayo DS Park at night [2], The Kerry DS Reserve covers multiple spots on the Iveragh peninsula in Kerry [3], and lastly there is the OM Dark Sky Park & Observatory which takes up the Davagh Forest in the Sperrin Mountains, County Tyrone [4]. 

Visiting these dark sky parks comes with its own Irish gamble of course. You can make the trek, get yourself ready, set up your telescope and get your flask of tea ready, only to watch in quiet resignation as the clouds politely tell you to pack it all up again. But the rare occasions when the sky does clear feel all the sweeter for it. The few times some amazing astronomical events can be seen in Ireland, you’ll be sure to hear about it all over the news and social media for the foreseeable, with many boasting of the crackin’ view they had of whatever it was going on. We all remember how much chat there was about the aurora when it was visible, everyone turned into a bit of an amateur astrophotographer… 

So if you ever find yourself cursing the clouds as they once again ruin your carefully laid astronomy plans, just remember that you’re part of a long standing tradition of optimistic sky-watchers who refuse to let drizzle and permanent overcast conditions dampen their cosmic curiosity. After all, the stars aren’t going anywhere, they’re just waiting behind the clouds. And maybe one clear night you’ll catch them peeking through, as surprised to see you as you are to see them. 

[1] “Newgrange – Winter Solstice” Newgrange, accessed Apr 13, 2025 https://www.newgrange.com/winter_solstice.htm 

[2] “Welcome to Mayo Dark Sky Spot,” Mayo Dark Sky Park, accessed Apr 12, 2025 https://www.mayodarkskypark.ie/ 

[3] “Kerry Dark Sky Reserve, Dark Sky Places,” Discover Iveragh, accessed Apr 12, 2025 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/00efe7f2297f44d5a33bacf4f48e4c9d 

[4] “OM Dark Sky Park & Observatory,” OM Dark Sky, accessed Apr 12, 2025 https://omdarksky.com/