The 1995 Saint Patrick's Day whirlwind or tornado lasted for about 30 seconds
and covered I 5 miles. It is thought to have started in Ballivor bog at
around half past 2. It then went on across Boardsmill where it got to its
strongest point. Tiles, slates and galvanize were just pulled off roofs
like they were lying there. Then it went through Ardanew, by Tobertynan
House and down to Kill School. Tiles were ripped off the roof, the old
tree at the entrance to the football pitch was pulled up, some wooding
from the outside of the prefab was stripped off, and the two basketball
rings and arial were bent at a right angle. Then the tornado went across
Kill and into Rathmolyon. This is where someone could have been killed.
The tornado knocked down a greenhouse in Coffey's across the road from
Smyth's. Alan Smyth had just gone out of his sitting room when the glass
from the greenhouse burst through the window and ripped all the furniture,
went into the mantle piece to a dept of nearly 2 inches and it also went
straight through some mahogany wood. The tornado then went on to Carey's
in lsaacstown where a wall was knocked down, slates were pulled off the
roof and galvanize came off some sheds- Next it went on to Flynn's Nurseries
where plants and trees were pulled up. The arial of the house fell down
and broke the windscreen of Flynn's brand new car below. An old Monkey
Puzzle tree which was 200 years old at the entrance to the nurseries fell
down in the immensely strong winds. One sheet of galvanize was wrapped
around a tree like it was a piece of paper. The tornado finally went on
to Summerhill woods where it knocked down more than 80 trees. A little
while after that it died down around Moynallvey. It was amazing that nobody
was killed. Most people say the hailstones that were the size of marbles
just before the tornado made everyone go Indoors. But thankfully nobody
was killed or even injured.
