And then it snowed ...

Well, it's the luck of the weather draw every year, and this morning's gathering at the Dun Ailinne spear monument had to leave a little unsatisfied, writes Brian Byrne .... until we repaired to Ray and Fiona Kellys for the promised sausages and brown bread, which were great.

The sun teased behind low cloud, which became a sudden larger mass just as it was about to break through, but there was at least a visible glow through the spear just before it all got grey again. And then it snowed ...

It was a good gathering, about 30 of us, including Noel Scullion, whose mathematical and artistic genius made the whole thing happen. So the Kelly breakfast was a very congenial affair, a chance to catch up a little on each other's doings, wonderings about whether it's really time yet to see if the lawnmower will start, maybe plan a little more ritual for next year that might expand the new tradition of the annual early morning tryst with a fickle Sol. Readings, music? Maybe not druidic apparel.

But now there's a real sense that spring is here, snow or no ... and next week the clocks change, to cement the thought. Time to wake up ...