Wexford Mass prays for better weather after months of rain

St. Brigid’s Church in Kilrsuh, Co Wex‐ ford held Mass on Monday evening, April 8 where Fr Joseph Power prayed for an improvement in the rainy weather.

Rainfall levels in the area were twice the annual average in March, preventing most of the planting of beans, cereals, and potatoes, according to the Irish Farmers Journal.

Fr Power told the Irish Farmers Journal: "A mass for improvement in the weather can't do any harm and hopefully will do some good."

Monday's Mass, which was held amidst a yellow rain warning, was well attended and brought in a crowd from different faiths, RTÉ News reported.

“It came about because we are a rural situation and everybody’s in the same boat," Fr Power said the day after the Mass.

“Since last October, it’s been raining and raining and raining.

“So one guy decided and he asked me would I say Mass and we decided on yesterday we would have the Mass. “As such, we had the worst days rain we ever had.

“Now today, it’s a lovely day here, but sure, we’ll see what happens tomorrow.” Farmers in Wexford sought divine inter‐ vention in relation to constant wet weather, with Mass said for better con‐ ditions in the locality last night | Read more: https://t.co/L5xdUN0PDK pic.twitter.com/brjGGFI5rl

- RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 9, 2024 Indeed, Met Éireann said in its climate statement for March 2024 that rainfall in Ireland that month was “above aver‐ age in most places” and that the wettest parts of the country for the month were in the South and East.

Ireland's meteorological service found that all of its stations had 20 or more rain days (a day on which 0.2 mm or more of rainfall is measured) in March, with 29 rain days at both Shannon Air‐ port, Co Clare, and Ballyhaise, Co Cavan throughout the month.

The highest daily rainfall total in Ireland in March 2024 was 45.3 mm at Dublin Airport on Friday, March 1, the highest daily fall for March on record (length 82 years).

The number of wet days (a day with 1.0 mm or more of rainfall) ranged from 14 days at Malin Head, Co Donegal to 26 days at Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry. The number of very wet days (a day with 10.0 mm or more of rainfall) ranged from one day at Dublin Airport to eight days at both Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry and Cork Airport, Co Cork. Along with Dublin Airport, Phoenix Park, Co Dublin also had its wettest March day on record on Friday 1st with 43.9 mm (length 83 years), while Mount Dil‐ lon, Co Roscommon had its wettest March day on record on Thursday 14th with 33.6 mm (length 19 years).