Stories of The Big Wind of 1839 have been told and retold in Ireland for all of 186 years. Join Chris as she explores what makes weather events such as Oíche na Gaoithe Móire so memorable and considers whether Storm Eowyn, a storm of a similar destructive nature, will still be remembered so far into the future.
Links for this episode
- Duchas.ie I counted wrongly in the audio article. . There are as many as 1562 transcribed stories under the title of ‘The Big Wind
Aticles and Papers I have found interesting.
- Met Éireann: Exceptional Weather Events: “Night of the Big Wind” paper by Lisa Shields and Denis Fitzgerald. This paper also contains a number of excellent references for further exploration.
- An Article from The Irish Times from 2017
- The night of the big wind: the impact of the storm on Loughrea by Keiran Hickey
- An interview with Dr Hickey for RTÉ ‘s Histoy programme.
- An Article from the Connaught Telegragh 2018
- Armagh Observatory: The Night of the Big Wind by Mathew Patterson 2010
The Ballad of the Night of the Big Wind
From the Dúchas Schools’ Collection
Come all ye sons of Erin’s Isle and listen to my song
About old Ireland’s windy night I wont detain yez long,
There ne’er was such a night before, nor one thats kept in mind,
Like the night of January the sixth in eighteen thirty-nine.
~
The Kerry cows (you know they’re small) went soaring through the air;
A funny sight it must have been to see them land in Clare.
It blew the peaks of Cuddy’s reeks then lept across the moor.
Sure the people thought they all were kilt, the way the wind did roar.
~
In the County Tipperary, not far from Templemore,
man named Tom McNulty and his wife and children four.
Were lifted from their beds that night (the devil a lie I’ll tell),
And were carried bag and baggage to the town of Patrick’s Well.
~
Another family of the Burkes that lived near Skibbereen
Were blown from Cork to Kerry; they came down at Caherciveen.
So pleasant was their journey as they rode upon the gale.
That ne’er a one of them woke up I’ve often heard the tale.
~
In Limerick, thats my county, near the bogs of Ballygran,
I used to hear me father tell how he and Pat McCann
Were on their way home from a wake when men boreen and all
Were wafted high up in the air and blown to Donegal
~
It carried ricks of hay and grain across the River Lee,
But high above the storm rang out in far-flung melody.
Those golden throated Shandon bells played by a magic hand
The music of those bells that night was heard all o’er the land.
~
Thatched roofs were torn from cabins and transported far away,
A jaunting car took wings at Cork, and flew to Bantry Bay.
The jarvey who was driving it, as soon as he came down
Said “Jerra nouns but that’s the way to go from town to town”.
~
There never was a wind like that ’twas Little Christmas Night,
From every cabin window gleamed the blessed candle’s light.
And that is why no lives were lost, at least that’s what they say,
Signs on the Irish always light a candle on this day
~
From a school in Co Kerry
I will get this recorded and added to the podcast episode a.s.a.p.
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