The year when life gets back to NORMAL
Irish almanac predicts Trump slump & low jab uptake... but we’ll be in pubs by summer
AN Irish journal that claims it predicted 2020 would include the pandemic and Donald Trump losing the White House has forecast life will be “returned to normal” in 2021.
The Old Moore’s Almanac, of which 200- year- old copies can be found in Trinity College Dublin, is famous for its crystal ball- gazing on current events.
The 257- year- old magazine sells more than 47,000 copies each year and hit global headlines this year for its coronavirus prediction.
And its forecasts for 2021 include Mr Trump becoming “less relevant” and spending several years avoiding prison, low vaccine uptake threatening the Covid- 19 recovery effort and air ships making a comeback.
Here’s what it predicts for Ireland over the next 12 months:
■ Life slowly returns to normal and by late summer, we’re over the worst of the pandemic. Hugs, foreign travel , l ive music and standing at the bar in your local – it’s all coming back in 2021.
■Irish scientists make international news with a Covidrelated breakthrough.
■Mic heal Martin faces a leadership challenge.
■ The country is divided when a celebrity is caught breaking lockdown.
■Housing is a massive issue once again.
■ We’re all getting stuff delivered by drones, and
■ Drought likely in May or June as the country sizzles.
Here’s international predictions for 2021:
■ Protests and violence on British streets as the impact of Brexit becomes clear.
■ Trump becomes less relevant and spends the next few years desperately trying to avoid jail. His wife Melania makes a break for freedom.
■ Wedding bells for Taylor Swift and Paris Hilton.
■ P re gnancy announcements from Lily Allen andKhloe Kardashian.
■ Low vaccine uptake in Europe and the US threatens the pandemic recovery effort. Antivaccine protests are countered by opposing sides demanding mandatory vaccination.
■ Light at the end of the tunnel for long-C ovid sufferers as researchers make new discoveries.
■ A train crash in Europe brings loss of life.
■Following the Scottish elections, Nicola Sturgeon seeks a referendum on independence but her plans hit a stumbling block. ■ A freak weather event in Italy. ■ Winter 2021/ 2022 is a stormy one for Europe but with less snow.
■ Also on the continent, forest fires are burning in an unusual place.
■ A tense stand- off in the Baltic region, war is narrowly avoided.
■ An unfortunate accident i n the South China Sea threatens the stability of the region.
■ A g o v e r n m e n t - sp onsored ki dnapping makes the news.
■ Travel i s about to get easier with new earbuds that can translate foreign languages.
■ Airships are making a comeback.
■ Augmented and virtual reality go mainstream.
■ Nostalgia is big in 2021 as we crave simpler times.
■ A big, corporate fraud scandal is revealed, and
■ Pe r s o n a l i s e d s h o p p i n g i s coming – soon, we will customise our clothes as we order them.