Madam, - Brendan McWilliams in Weather Eye (October 13th) put forward the view that seeing a crescent moon with a shadow of a full moon heralded good weather in times past. Although an avid reader of this column, I beg to differ with fair weather omen.
In the 17th century poem Sir Patric Spens storms are foretold by the same phenomenon in these lines.
"I saw the new moon late yestreen
Wi' the auld moon in her arm;
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And if we gang to sea, master,
I fear we'll come to harm."
- Yours, etc.,
LIZ O' SULLIVAN, University of Limerick Library, Limerick.