I had been thinking that it was rather a windy summer on the Shannon, and Met Éireann’s seasonal summary [select Year 2015 and Period Summer 2015 here to get a PDF] supports that view:
Seasonal wind speeds were the highest in at least six years at the majority of stations with records of up to 41 years exceeded at Shannon Airport (mean wind speed of 9.9 knots (18km/h)). Seasonal mean wind speeds ranged from 5.9 knots (11km/h) at Mullingar, Co Westmeath (its windiest summer in 11 years) to 13.8 knots (26km/h) at Mace Head, Co Galway (its windiest summer in 7 years).
Gale-force winds were reported on 9 days, with four of these days (June 1st, June 2nd, July 17th and August 3rd) reporting severe gales. Malin Head reported the seasons highest 10-minute mean wind speed and highest gust on June 1st with 47 knots (87 km/h) and 65 knots (120km/h), respectively, both the highest reported since the summer of 1988.
But what has caused this excess of wind? The learned Tyler Cowen reports today that there has been a shortage of wind in the Americas and that the amount of electricity generated by some wind farms has fallen.
Clearly, therefore, the missing American wind has ended up in Ireland, and the method of transmission is undoubtedly by the wind farms themselves. Just as the wind is caused by the waving of trees, so too is wind caused by the turbines of wind farms. And while American wind farms are set to blow, ours must be set to suck, thereby bringing American wind to Ireland.
They can have it back any time they like.
Irish waterways history 