Stranded in Dublin

Commuters and pedestrians in Ranelagh, Dublin. Photo Bryan O'Brien/The Irish Times

Record low temperatures, icy roads, sleet, unusually heavy snowfall… it seems as if Ireland’s weather is reflecting the woebegone, angry mood of its citizens in the midst of the unpopular EU-IMF bailout agreements. Schools closed, cars in ditches, bus and train service spotty, airport closings… and my husband stranded!

A snow tyre challenged car outside Waterford city. Photo Patrick Browne & Dara MacDónaill/The Irish Times

Lucky for Declan, he has a brother who lives near Dublin Airport that he was able to stay with tonight. But this was after a long day of… wait in the terminal, wait on the runway, wait in the hopelessly long queue to book another flight. Also, lucky for Declan, he has a wife at home in the States who was able to get through by phone to Aer Lingus on our side of the pond to arrange a seat on the flight out tomorrow so that he was able to leave the rebooking queue of hundreds of stranded passengers at the airport and head for the comfort of his brother Patrick’s home.

Hopefully, knock-on-wood, fingers crossed and Hail Marys…  Declan’s flight will make it out tomorrow in spite of dire weather predictions that say the severe weather will continue into next week!

Thank you to The Irish Times for these photos of arctic Ireland!

***UPDATE*** Declan’s flight was cancelled again today! I know he hated to have to leave Ireland, but as the saying goes, “be careful what you wish for” !  But how about this for an authentic Irish experience… today at the airport Declan ran into, not only one Irish friend hoping to get on the same flight, but two American friends waiting for the same flight as well… and they’re all having pints in the pub at this very moment!

Snowman on O'Connell Bridge. Photo Patrick Browne & Dara MacDónaill/The Irish Times