Four popular bathing spots fail water quality tests!

Four of the Ireland’s leading bathing spots have failed to meet the minimum EU standards for water quality, with high levels of faecal coliforms detected by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests. Swimming areas at Balbrigan and Malahide in Fingal, north Dublin, Clifden, Co Galway and Dunmore East Main Strand, Co Waterford, all failed the minimum cleanliness standards, with Clifden failing for the second year in a row. The presence of the faecal coliforms at the four sites indicated that inadequately treated (or worst, not treated at all!) was spilling into the bathing areas.
Overall water quality levels were high with 127 out 131 sites tested reaching the required EU standards.

Old enemies sign up to new dawn for the North

Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness, once the deadliest enemies, stood shoulder to shoulder in Belfast on Tuesday to consign generations of bitterness to history and clear the way for a spectacular new era of cooperation in the Northern Ireland. Nearly 10 years after the Good Friday Agreement, we witnessed history as DUP leader Dr Paisley and Sinn Fein’s Mr McGuinness pledged themselves to a power-sharing government. On an occasion unlike any other inside Parliament Buildings, Stormont, full of emotion and high on drama they signed up to a deal of a lifetime. Taoiseach (prime minister in Ireland) Bertie Ahern expressed hope that no one in the island of Ireland would ever again feel the anger and pain of old quarrels.

Ireland had its warmest and sunniest April in history!

Ireland had its warmest and sunniest April on record this year. Irish weather stations at Birr, Malin Head and in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, where records began more than a century ago, reported the warmest April ever. Met Eireann says that the average temperatures varied between 10C and 11.50C – nearly three degrees higher than normal for May, never mind April! It was also the sunniest April on record almost everywhere, with monthly totals around 50% higher than normal.

Despite the very high monthly values, minimum temperatures fell sharply on several nights under clear skies and there were between 12 and 18 ground frosts recorded at inland stations, around a third more than normal for April.

Monthly rainfall totals were well below normal except in the northwest, with the driest April on record at Shannon Airport. The soil was very dry: soil moisture deficits increased significantly during the month – with the very dry conditions leading to outbreaks of gores fires in many parts of the country.