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AS YOU MAY have heard, there’s a solar eclipse happening later. Up to 90 per cent of sunlight will be blocked out across Ireland between 8.20am and 10.30am.
The phenomenon happens when the Moon passses between the Earth and the Sun – obscuring the Sun’s image for Earth-bound viewers.
It’s the first time people across Europe, North Africa parts of the Middle East will have seen a solar eclipse since 1999.
If you can cast your mind back 16 years or so, you may recall that there was quite a bit of hoopla around that eclipse – the last one of the millennium.
Here’s a section of the BBC’s coverage from 11 August 1999 – presented by Michael Buerk…
Remember it now?
Statistically, it’s bound to be the case that some readers weren’t quite born at the time. However, if you were around – and you can’t quite remember what you were up to on the day itself, the following might jog your memory a little….
This was the number 1 single – both in Ireland AND the UK…
That very week, the rest of the UK top ten chart looked like this:
2. Better Off Alone – Alice Deejay
3. Livin’ La Vida Loca – Ricky Martin
4. Rendez-Vu – Basement Jaxx
5. Guilty Conscience – Eminem feat Dr Dre
6. If Ya Gettin’ Down – Five
7. Feel Good – Phats & Small
8. Wild Wild West – Will Smith
9. Let Forever Be – Chemical Brothers
10. Why Does it Always Rain on Me – Travis
These were the films of the summer, back in 1999 (US box office number 1s, from the start of May)
Meanwhile, on TV – in 1999, you may well have been watching the first season of The Sopranos or The West Wing.
While here at home, this man was presenting The Den…
Finally, this was the New York Times Best Seller List, for the week of 8 August 1999…
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Why were you watching the Den 1998 Christmas special in August 1999?
Classic ‘thejournal.ie’ these days.
Went to Cornwall to witness it , amazing meteor shower the night before , as day was breaking it was evident that the day was too overcast to see the eclipse in its full splendor , thing that sticks in my mind most was the birds and dogs that were around as totality hit , they went absolutely berserk for those couple of minutes , great experience all the same , hope the weather holds out for ye and many people get to see this awesome event ….
I was born in Cornwall, and lived there until I was 10. It’s a beautiful place, that comes with a rich heritage. There are so many standing stones and stone circles in the countryside and the moors. Used to take walks around more local ones, I think my mum felt some kind of peace around them. We actually lived not far from St. Merryn, and visited Ed Prynn and his home a couple times. Amazing place, and a very interesting man.
I remember it being just as gloomy and overcast during the ’99 eclipse too.
Feck it, at least our planet is in the habitable zone
Perfect clear blue sky in Cork City for it
Perfect unbroken blanket of cloud in Dublin, typical!!
Sun is out here and it’s drizzling rain. Cork
Got a weak spot in the clouds at around twenty five to ten in Dublin, if only id brought a proper camera. That said there didn’t seem to be a big deal about this time, there was much more of a fuss in 1999
ah sure we seen one solar eclipse, we’ve seen them all …
Was on board Irish Ferries Normandy for the ’99 eclipse.
A great and memorable trip for all.
Incredible experience. The calm sea got rough, the wind got up, it went midnight dark and the street lights om the islands off France came on. When it was over, the animals were confused. The cockerels let fly and the cows made their way to the milking parlours.
Some memory.
Gloomy as normal here in mayo
Sorry Stephen but that is what happens when you have Enda as a TD, lol.
Cloudy most places I’d say
Druids are funny as they are only over a 100 years old, the real Druids died out due to Roman attacks and due to Christianity and all that anyone knows about them is their name.
Last time of the solar eclipse I went to see it in Kent after a holiday in Israel, I planned my holiday around it…
I went on a date the night Robbie Williams played slane that year. Still together, married with children. Does anyone know the actual date he played? It’s August Im almost sure.
There were a few birds flying round during the eclipse, but it wasn’t till it was over that I realised they hadn’t been singing at all. Lights on in the kitchen. By the way, thanks for publishing my photo! The heavy clouds parted just at the moment of maximum totality for Dublin.
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