Storm Clouds
The second half of our January trip to Ireland was a mix of visiting family and some more sightseeing with Angela. We were able to stop in to see my cousin Dervilla and her family on one of the days. On another day we went to visit my Great Aunt Sarah for a cup of tea and biscuits. Our sightseeing was a healthy mix of new and old places. We had one day trip to Dunmoran Strand and Gleniff Horseshoe. Another day trip was the Kesh Caves to get some better pictures and then off to Ballymote Castle before heading to Lough Key Forest Park. Finally on one of our last trips we took a good ride up to Donegal Castle and then Killybegs Harbour to look at the ships.
The strangest part or this trip to Ireland however, included something completely unexpected and had us dodging a tropical storm. Yup, you heard me correctly, dodging a tropical storm, Storm Brendan to be exact. Technically it wasn’t really a tropical storm since we weren’t in the tropics, but according to the NOAA wind scale, it would have been categorized as one, with maximum sustained winds between 62 and 117 km/h (39-73 mph). In Ireland the meteorological service, Met Éireann, uses a three tiered warning scale which classified this storm as Category Orange. That translates to widespread wind mean speeds between 65 and 80 km/h (40-50 mph) and/or widespread gusts between 110 and 130 km/h (68-80 mph). Now, throw in some rain, coastal flooding and ocean waves with potential to be greater than 39 feet and you might have yourself an adventure…or some serious trouble.
Being from upstate New York, nothing like this happens where we live so neither of us were sure what to expect. When we went to bed, the sky was clear and quiet, but over night the wind really picked up. I was woken up in the early morning as it gusted outside which was quite a feat after traipsing about the day before sightseeing and a night spent in the pub. Looking out the window we could see the trees bending and whipping around in the breeze, while some branches and other debris were scattered on the ground. Rather than totally waste a day, we decided to venture outside to get a handle on the gravity of the situation. There was no real rain outside, just a few drops randomly here and there, so we decided to play it relatively safe and head to Rosserk Friary about 23 minutes away on a normal day. The drive there wasn’t too bad although slow due to our reduced speed thanks to some standing water on the roads and a few branches down here and there. The cloud colour varied with multiple shades and shapes of grey and black that billowed and raced across the sky. About 3/4 of the way there we realized there was a wall of black clouds following us, so we picked up speed and hurried to our destination.
Just when we arrived, those black clouds which had been following us opened up and sheets of rain came down for a good 2-3 minutes, confining us to our car, before it passed as quickly as it arrived. The wind however had picked up significantly and battered us as we clambered out of the car to wander through the Friary. For being as old as it is, the place was in amazing shape and we were able to walk carefully about, dodging puddles, snapping pictures as we went. The old stone walls sheltered us from most of the wind and some of the rain, giving us a false sense of the situation. Once we made it up the stairs to the second floor of the Friary, it was back to reality and we were re-exposed to the elements. The wind drove a stinging drizzle into our faces and after a few more minutes of exploring we decided to pack it in, not without a small mishap, however. Just as I was climbing down a small set of three stairs the wind gusted and disrupted my balance causing me to miss a step and splash my feet into a large puddle. Soaking wet from my knees down, I stumbled into the car, off to our next destination.
Our second stop of the day wasn’t too far from the Friary and was also going to be a quick one. We drove about 25 minutes into Enniscrone for a spin down the Cliff Road to look at the sea. Here the wind was really roaring, and with no protection from any building or landmass you really felt its power. We could see a lone pair of walkers who’d braved the wind making their way across the beach, escorted by a “stream” of blowing sand. Driving further down the road took us nearer to the pier where we saw a few other cars who had parked to look at the ocean. At this point the wind had really picked up making entering and exiting the car a real struggle requiring me put my weight against the door to open it and to brace myself with my foot to pull it shut. Soaked and cold, I was done for the day and done with the storm. We beat a hasty retreat back to the apartment for a hot whiskey (or two), dry clothes, and some television news for a recap of the storms impact around the country.