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Postie predicts white Christmas
14.12.09
A DONEGAL postman known
for his ability to predict the weather using ancient
methods has insisted Ireland will get a white
Christmas.
Michael Gallagher, who lives in the Glenfin Valley,
looks at nature and animal behaviour to come up with
his forecast. The 61-year-old learned his technique
from older generations who lived among the Blue
Stack mountains. Mr Gallagher said all the recent
signs pointed to snow being on the way. “We are
definitely on our way to a white Christmas,” he
said.
Mr Gallagher says his methods were relied upon for
centuries before TV weather forecasts.
“I'm almost definite - about 90%,” he said. “When
the sun shines on to the (Blue Stack) mountains, and
down to the lowlands it’s turning a reddish-brown
colour, that’s a sign of snow. “The sheep and the
cattle are going mad too, shaking themselves, coming
in off the mountains and coming to the gate. |
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“And I noticed the
other day, the fox is getting very busy, looking for
hens and howling at two in the morning.
“There’s a hunger in everything, they want to be fed
because they know what is coming. These are ‘moving
signs’ that things are going to happen," he said in
weekend media reports.
Mr Gallagher, who has been a postman for 42 years
completed a book this year entitled, 'Traditional
Weather Signs'. He said, everything was signalling a
“tight and hard wintry snap in the coming weeks,
with the best chance for years of widespread snow on
December 25.
“There’s so many signs I can tell you: the late
growth of grass in October, the haws are laden with
berries - that’s another sign,” he added.
Meanwhile, the meteorologists say snow is "possible"
during an expected cold spell this week. |
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