Ophelia huffs and puffs, but blows nothing down
DESPITE warnings of impending doom, the greatest impact that Storm Ophelia had on West Kerry was that shops in Dingle heeded the nationwide ‘red alert’ and closed their doors when they didn’t need to.
During the morning there was a gale; the middle of the day was bright and breezy as the eye of the storm passed west of Valentia; and in the later afternoon the wind picked up again, but with no remarkable force for the time of year. One former fisherman remarked that “we went out fishing salmon in worse”.
The streets of Dingle were almost deserted early in the day but after a while people realised that the weather was nowhere near as bad as what Met Éireann and the national medial were talking about and they ventured out for a look.
Some headed for Bín Bán where they were disappointed to find the offshore wind kept the sea relatively calm during the morning, although it picked up later in the day. In the west, Ventry was stirred, but not shaken; Clogher was far from the turbulenturbulent heights for which it is famed; and only the spectacular ocean swell rolling into Com Dhíneol caused drivers to hit the brakes and grab a camera.
Meanwhile, in Dingle access to the pier was limited and the marina car park was blocked off, presumably in anticipation of waves washing over the sea wall. The waves didn’t come, and even a small sailboat moored in Cluais appeared to be unscathed amid the maelstrom.
Many of the shops in Dingle were closed for all or part of the day, as their owners heeded the warnings off a storm the likes of which we have never seen before. It was an inconvenience for some but good for business in Sheehy’s and Fitzgerald’s supermarkets which remainedd open. Schools throughout Corca Dhuibhne were closed as well – but that didn’t bother anyone; certainly not the pupils.
All told, more of a day for another viewing of ‘ Gonee With The Wind’ rather than battening down hatches.