Burnin' up!

Well there's no denying it. That glowing round thing that miraculously (on occasion!) appeared in our skies the past few weeks confirmed it. Traditionally the Leaving Cert brings good weather and this year (while being a wee bit slow to start!) was no different with the onset of non-Artic temperatures. It was official: Summer in Ireland had (kind of!) arrived! And as always not one of us was really in any way prepared for it - thank god for Penneys right?!

Of course in our defense, Ireland with actual sunshine and vaguely warm temperatures is a rare sight even during our so called 'summers'. A fact of life that comes with living in Ireland means that a day without rain is a novelty. A day with actual sunshine and leaving the house without a jacket? Well that's a cause for national celebration! And boy do we celebrate, flocking to any source of water with our sun cream in hand - all the while knowing that the second miracle of an actual tan is probably unlikely, but hey, god loves a trier doesn't he?!

via Buzzfeed.com

It was announced late last week that a heat wave was a'comin to our shores this week And as I type this, it's hard to deny: the temperatures have been upped and we might actually experiencing the elusive 'Irish Summer!'

via Her.ie

It won't take long for the results to begin to take affect. It usually becomes pretty clear after the initial day or two of an Irish heat wave that, while we are delighted when it actually happens, years of rain and damp weather has meant we simply aren't prepared for it. The appearance of actual sunshine tends to send people outside in a flurry to bask in the heat but it's usually not long before we need to retreat back inside after we realise how hot it actually is. And us Irish are simply not built for heat.

While accepting this fact is nothing to be ashamed of, there is always the ones who refuse to admit defeat and instead resort to staying put and fashioning their own air conditioning.
 Yep I'm talking about the strippers. 
Now chances are, you're going to spot at least one or ten this coming week. Whether it be walking down the street or in the local shop, they will be pretty hard to miss. Any self-consciousness or embarrassment has seemingly melted in the heat with these creatures as they stroll about the place.  

Now I completely understand the surprise a heat wave in Ireland can bring. Much like most of the population, I too stood in front of my wardrobe this morning, desperately looking for something or anything to wear in the heat. The fact that we spend the majority of the year in jumpers and jeans means panic stations when actual decent weather appears. Trips to Dunnes and Penneys are hastily planned as Jean Byrne tells us the next few days will be 'warm and pleasant'. The strippers are sometimes amongst these people too. But instead of shorts and t-shirts, they are buying bikinis and hot pants with no imminent beach plans. While this is grand for your garden, nobody really needs to see that much flesh on show when they're popping to the shop for milk, do they?

via Entertainment.ie

I'm pretty sure the goal of a tan is in mind here, along with cooling off of course, and to each of them I say good luck. Achieving an actual tan in Ireland is an achievement in itself based on our weather history and our pasty skin. However more often than not, red raw sunburn is the result. This can be from misjudged sun cream application to lack of any thought of protection, but chances are both strippers and the regular Joe/Josephine are going to have a painful nights sleep at one point or another this week!

I, myself, hope to miraculously escape this pain. My plan? I'm relying on the fact that in any type of heat, I refuse to spend more than a few minutes outside. Yep, while heat can bring a smile to our little country, it tends to make me supremely uncomfortable and generally a cranky cow. Being sweaty is a serious pet peeve of mine too along with the fact that I burn on a cloudy day meant that once I heard about this weeks forecast - a hibernation was swiftly planned!

Of course, like any miracle, it probably won't last but even as the clouds start to roll in, an entire week of a rare summer in Ireland will be talked about for the rest of the year. Because as cheesy as it sounds, there's really no better place on earth than Ireland on a summers day.

Forever in the Sky (although temporarily indoors!!),

Lucy x