Palm Trees in Ireland

After spending the summer in Southern California, I thought I had seen my last palm tree for awhile when I was rolled out of town in mid-August. After all, Ireland is known for shamrocks, 4 leaf clovers and leprechauns frolicking in fields of green green grass. However, I was surprised to see that Ireland has palm trees. Quite a few of them actually.

One tour bus driver explained it this way: "Ireland gets the cold Arctic wind from the north and the warm Mediterranean wind from the south, and they meet right in the middle of Ireland. That's why we get all kinds of different plants side-by-side." It's not a very scientific explanation, but it will do. This blog has a rather low evidentiary standard.