Memory: The Sahara of North Dublin
In North country Dublin in the late 80s near everybody was tutting and grumbling about the Sahara playing up again. There was red dust in the air, a celebrity dust - remarked upon and pointed out wherever it landed. My auntie Teresa’s car windows were thick with it one afternoon. Mum explained that it had blown all the way over from the Sahara desert - up high in the sky. Any significance was entirely lost on me. It had been happening for weeks but I was so young I didn’t remember much of life before the red dust. It felt eternal. It seemed we had always squidged fingers on windows and car bonnets thick with dust, making those deep satisfying marks.
I don’t remember how or when the Sahara dust ended. I expect a welcome bout of rain came along and washed it down a drain. Off it flowed to settle somewhere more anonymously. Though likely some of the Sahara is still undercover, settled in a flowerbed, getting nicely watered and nestling against sunflowers. Though North County Dublin feels an unlikely place for a desert to retire, I expect they could do worse.
FACT CHECK
I looked into winds bringing over the Sahara’s red dust to Ireland and it seems it happens nearly annually in parts! As it’s so common I can’t find a specific mention of this bout but I think it was in the late 80s/early 90s. I don’t remember Sahara dust happening in Malahide since. If you remember this or similar Sahara incidents I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Rory