We’re moving out of winter’s gloom and into the glory of spring

SIR, The Spring Equinox has long been celebrated as a time of rebirth and fertility in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the sun crossing the equator from south to north. During the equinox the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal – 12 hours of light, 12 hours of darkness. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Spring Equinox marks the first day of astronomical spring, usually around the 21st March. On the other hand, meteorologists, who base their findings on climatology rather than astronomy, maintain that spring begins on 1st March.

Whether the seasons have their origins in the movement of planets or in weather conditions, the more seasonable weather of recent weeks has certainly put a spring in our steps. Summer time begins next Sunday, 25th March so the days will be noticeably longer. The trees are sweetly blooming while warmth, growth and greenery are returning. Birds are singing and building nests while animals are mating and producing offspring. How wonderful it is to listen to the bleating of lambs in the fields and to marvel at “a host of golden daffodils, beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”

The Spring Equinox renews our energy levels after the cold and darkness of winter. It makes us appreciate how good it is to be alive and living in a beautiful country. It whets the appetite for exercise, sport and outdoor life. While Alfred Lord Tennyson maintains that in the spring a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love, mine turns to sea swimming in Fenit, walking in Banna Strand, days at the races and the mouth-watering anticipation of a successful season for the Austin Stacks and Kerry football teams. Sincerely,

Billy Ryle,

Spa, Tralee.

Photo by Valerie O’Sullivan A host of golden daffodils…Sophie Culloty enjoying the children’s activities at Killarney House and Gardens, as part of the recent Killarney Mountain Festival.