Former director of the Armagh Observatory and treasurer of the William Carleton Society Professor emeritus Mark Bailey includes a reference to William Carleton and the Great Aurora (1833) in his May weather round-up. Mark writes as follows:
“Armagh Observatory reports that May 2024 was much warmer than average, the warmest May on record. It was also drier than average, with approximately half the average May rainfall at Armagh, and much duller, with approximately three quarters of the average number of hours of strong sunshine….”
His summary continues: “There were no gales, nor hail showers or rainbows this month. However, a strong and colourful display of the aurora borealis or northern lights occurred on the 10th and was widely seen. The phenomenon lasted from approximately 22:30 to midnight (GMT) with a resurgence a couple of hours later.
Those with an interest in Irish literature may know that the playwright, poet and author, William Carleton (1794–1869), gave a remarkably accurate description of an aurora in his story “The Priest’s Funeral” (see p.48). It seems probable that the description was based on his own observations of the Great Aurora of September 1833, which was seen worldwide including at Armagh around the middle of that month. Astronomers name craters on the planet Mercury after deceased artists, musicians, painters and authors who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their field, and both Seamus Heaney and William Carleton have been so commemorated.
May 2024 saw approximately 136.8 hours of strong sunshine, slightly more than three quarters of the average for May at . This was the dullest May at Armagh for five years, that is, since May 2019 (126.8 hours of strong sunshine). The sunniest day was the 10th with 13.3 hours of strong sunshine, followed by 11.4 hours on the 11th, and 10.1 hours on the 19th.
Taking the three months March, April and May together the meteorological spring was the warmest spring on record at Armagh, shared with spring 2017. It was also wetter and much duller than average. The average spring temperature was a very warm 10.2 C (nearly 50.4 F), approximately 2.1 C warmer than the 225-year (1796–2020) long-term spring average at Armagh (8.1 C) and 1.2 C warmer than the most recent (1991–2020) 30-year average (9.0 C). The four warmest springs at Armagh are now 2024 and 2017 (both 10.2 C), and 2011 and 1945 (both 10.0 C). Total spring precipitation was 198.0 mm including 12 trace values. Despite the drier than average May, spring 2024 was approximately 15% wetter at Armagh than average.
March, April and May were all duller than average, together producing 357.2 hours of strong sunshine, which is approximately 83% of the spring average at Armagh. This was the 18th dullest spring on record and the dullest at Armagh for five years, that is, since the exceptionally dull spring 2019 (312.7 hours). These data refer to observations at Armagh Observatory, which has been recording the weather at Armagh since 1795.”
