On St Patrick’s Street Niamh Lawlor from Tralee and Maeve Cooper from New York are not too happy with the Irish summer. Picture: Richard Mills

Three times as much rain fell here in June and July compared to the same months last year.

Cork Airport recorded 100.2 millimetres of rain this month, compared to just 39.2 in July 2011, while June levels were 228.3mms this year compared to 88.7mms in 2011.
Last month was the wettest June since records began in 1962, while July is also on course to be one of the wettest on record.
The wash-out has seen tourist-reliant businesses and farmers hit particularly hard.
John Cooney of Youghal Holiday Houses, one of the most popular destinations for visitors in east Cork in the past, said 2012 had been tough so far.
“The poor weather has impacted dramatically, there is no doubt. The numbers are just not around and even the amount of enquiries we are getting has dropped. We are just not getting the late calls.
“It is a pretty difficult one to answer as to how we combat it but I would say we have excellent restaurants and indoor activity centres that are not reliant on weather. People that come to Youghal will always be entertained.”
Fiona Buckley of Fáilte Ireland said coastal towns were impacted more than urban centres like Cork city.
“If July was particularly slow, August and September should pick up.
“Overseas visitors know what they are getting coming to Ireland, so it is not like they are surprised by the weather. Walking tours reliant on scenery and coastline can, in fact, be enhanced with bad weather, so we have plenty to stay positive about.”
Cork East TD Tom Barry, who is a farmer and agri-businessman, said the farming community had a particularly tough year.
“It has been unpredictable since 2007 but this year is just crazy. There are huge consequences for both tillage and cattle farmers.”
KC’s has reopened after the Douglas flooding — see page four.