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HERE AT TheJournal.ie, keeping an eye on storm names has become something of a welcome distraction from having to provide rolling coverage of the destruction and travel chaos that’s actually being caused by the weather.
So, to continue our occasional series of ‘Why Various Bits of Weather Were Called Whatever They Were Called’ (we’re still working on a catchier title) — let’s take a look at why everyone started calling the system that hit the country yesterday ‘Darwin’.
Darwin. Once merely the enemy of creationists. Now feared and respected throughout Ireland [Wikimedia Commons]
The name began to gain a general purchase in the media yesterday morning, in the wake of Met Éireann’s ‘status red’ alert for Cork and Kerry.
Numerous national and local radio stations began referring to the storm as ‘Darwin’ as it made landfall in the region and the first reports of damage began to come in.
The reason? Well:
[The QI Elves via Twitter]
Yes, it was the anniversary of the Origin of Species author’s birthday yesterday (205th anniversary, since you ask)… That doesn’t explain why everyone latched on to the name though, does it?
Naming storms has become a bit of a thing in Ireland, in the wake of ‘Storm Christine’ at the start of the year.
TV3 weather presenter Deric Hartigan seems to be the main man trying (and succeeding) to ‘make fetch happen’ in this area. He came up with ‘Christine’ — and also ‘Ruth’ (which hit last weekend — the name didn’t catch-on so much, but then the storm itself wasn’t as serious as others we’ve experienced lately).
Are they official names? Not really — ‘Ruth’ was the name given to the storm by the Free University in Berlin, which has been christening all high and low pressure systems since 1954. The system isn’t recognised by official forecasting bodies, but it’s used regularly in the German media.
The Free University called yesterday’s system ‘Tini’.
[Weather reports from Berliner Tagesspiegel, n-tv and Sat1 Television]
There was also ‘Storm Brigid’ of course, at the start of February — that landed on St Brigid’s Day, and there’s a tradition dating back hundreds of years of naming destructive weather systems for the nearest saint’s day.
No.
The National Hurricane Centre in Miami is the only officially-recognised agency to name Atlantic storms. As we mentioned, TheJournal.ie‘s done quite a few pieces on this whole storm-naming trend in the last while — so here’s what the folks at the weather service in Glasnevin told us last month when we asked them about it:
“If we named every depression we’d go through the alphabet five times over ever year.”
They have enough to be doing, in other words — sure half the country’s under water.
And the thinking behind the continuing trend? This is what Hartigan (the TV3 chap) told us:
“By giving them a name, it’s simply a way of giving the public a closer connection to a particular storm as it builds, approaches and makes landfall.”
Turns out, Hartigan may not be the man to blame for ‘Storm Darwin’ — it looks like the Irish Independent was the first outlet in the country to use the name, in a weather piece on Tuesday. However, the paper’s included quotes from the weatherman in quite a few of its storm coverage pieces in the last while, so he may still have a hand in the whole situation (we’ve asked him, so check back for an exciting update later).
By the way — the fact that the name’s caught on to such a degree that it’s even being used by RTÉ caused a few eyes to roll this morning…
[Shane Hegarty via Twitter]
So, that’s about it on our Darwin theory… You’re probably thinking ‘three paragraphs would have been fine’ — right?
*We’re not really sorry.
71 convictions why the f**k is this vermin not in a ceil? What’s the solicitors defence? He needs a 72nd chance? If the likes of this lowlife broke into your house and you done him in good and proper, the Judge would throw the book at you. Would you get a 2nd chance? We need more Garda and new legislation with tougher laws.
Justice system is a f@&€gbg disgrace in this country. Building a new prison and introducing much tougher sentences should be high on the list.
Time to completely separate the driver from his fare. It’s the same in the UK and the US. It should be law to have a screen between the front and back of the vehicle
Only a matter of time before he takes someone’s life. Should be 15 years with no parole for any crime involving a weapon. Particularly knives. We need to stamp out knife crime now before it becomes commonplace and we see and hear about fatalities more and more often
Ireland is a banana republic. Nothing works as it should, yet the people seem to care more about the pub and the x factor. You should be ashamed of yourselves for allowing your country and society to be destroyed
You are a banana republic. Leave Ireland alone. Look at the state of the rest of the world while you are at it.
Legal system is in a pretty bad way and so too is the political sphere but someone, anyone, point out a country (besides them Nordic perfectionists ) that is perfect. None.
Ireland has its flaws but we are a unique nation. I’m sure there’s a few Syrian lads somewhere drinking pints saying ‘lads, isn’t the Syrian political system a f**kin’ joke at this stage’.
71 previous offences and he gets 3 years for for that horrible act?.Anyone with more than 30 convictions should just be put to sleep, permanently.
Sickens me when I see the usual nonsense about the guilty are waiting on a list to get treatment. The first thing these vermin do when they get caught is sign up for treatment knowing full well that judges look favourably upon it even though they have no intention of doing it.
71 previous convictions. Sentences to 3 years. Im on drugs your honour waiting to go to rehab your honour. Sorry about the knife your honour. Ah you’re alright young man sure the unfortunate taxi driver will be ok just do your time. Sure with good behaviour and all the other easy shite you will probably be home before me and you should have no bother getting your drugs in prison.
3 years is far too lenient for that abhorrent crime alone. 71 previous convictions just proves that he is completely remorseless and a continuous threat to society, what a ridiculous sentence.
71 previous convictions.
Well done justice system. You once again have displayed your flaws
A complete overhaul is required.
3 strikes and your in for 5 years and not a day shorter,
4 strikes and you get ten.
5 strikes gets you sterilised and life.
6 – 15 strikes lose a finger per strike.
For a supposedly right wing country we have have a very lenient sentencing policy.
Think about it Buckwheat, we have murderers and people who helped cover up rape running for Taoiseach. It just doesn’t suit any of those gombeens (or any of the complicit existing politicians) to properly punish crimes as the scrotes don’t want to be punished and bleeding heart liberals don’t condone harsh punishment.
Society is descending into hell and we as a people seem powerless to stop it.
With that previous he’d get 20 years in most US states. Sentencing here is a joke.
Dublin is like a scene from the Walking Dead these days. Junkies are everywhere pestering tourists. I think judges are told to give very light sentences to these rodents with 50 charges. There isn’t enough space in our prisons for all these “petty” criminals so they are given a free reign to carry on thieving and harrassing people. Build some prisons and lock up the 50 charge offenders with proper sentences, fat chance of that happening though!
A former district court judge actually said the same during a Newstalk interview today.
All banks, post offices, credit unions, and other store’s have panic buttons in-case of robbery’s… maybe Taxi’s/Cab’s should have some kind of panic button that is connect via Bluetooth or 3G/4G, it would auto call or send a text message in an emergency, if say someone pulls a knife or something.
Byyys – it seems they do as this man pressed a distress call button. Junkies are a plague and I for one am tired of hearing that we should pity them. Lock them up.
Punks. Hopefully the pendulum will begin to swing back the other way soon and anyone with 7 previous convictions will be digging and filling holes every day for a few years. That won’t be long sorting out their ‘problems’ and ‘issues’.
Sorry. That’s 70 convictions, not 7
Let’s go with 7 anyway, it’s still too much.
3 years?
3 decades would be more appropriate
3 years,?while that poor fella trying to earn a crust suffers a lifetime of fear and watching his back?scandalous justice,when bus drivers were being robbed with syringes they removed easy cash access and put proper security screening for them, that stopped the robberys overnight, taxi drivers deserve to be safe in the workplace the same as any other worker
I not so sure about being put to sleep permanently but 3yrs is not near enough
My thought are with Mr McEoin.
For the s***bag to be given only 3 yrs is an insult to Taxi drivers & anybody held up like this. Taxi driving as a profession holds the highest suicide rate categort in Ireland.
The S/Bag had 71 previous conviction inc. ASSAULT – decent people would expect him to be put away for life at this stage. He is not capable of living a civilised life & should be put away for life.
SO WHATS HIS 72ND OFFENCE GOING TO BE – MURDER ???
PUT HIM DOWN
Just waiting for the taxi haters to start posting.
Looks like you could be in for a long night chief.
Someone call Andrew a taxi
Cut their dole or enforce a weekly deduction from their wages for every conviction after the first 3 convictions on an increasing basis,
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