WATCH: local farmer captures Sí Gaoithe on camera

Sarah Slevin

A young Milltownpass farmer captured a rare and impressive ‘wisp’ on camera when he was out working and says it is a sign of good hay.

Caolain Gammell (19) has been working for Kit Gallagher Agri for a couple years but came across a rare sight last week.

While out raking hay in the fine weather in Baileystown, Caolain was stopped in his tracks by what looked like a mini tornado.

“I was raking away, getting ready for the bailer – about a half an hour before I took the video, I saw a smaller one in front of me, a gust of wind. It took hay and I just thought ‘what was that?’ but I didn’t think too much more of it,” he said.

“Then, you know, you’d be watching the fields all the time and I was just looking behind me and it was like something you’d see on storm chasers – a tornado of hay.

“It came out of nowhere and it definitely wiped out a quarter of the field; just took the rows with it and scattered it everywhere,” Caolain said.

Taking out his phone, he captured a video of the ‘wisp’, as it is commonly known.

The weird weather wonder can happen in particularly fine spells and is caused by air or wind swirling upwards.

“It was something out of the ordinary… with such dry weather this year, I’d say that’s why. I’ve often heard of lads seeing smaller ones, but I’ve never seen a video of one that big in Ireland before,” he said.

The tornado-like wind is also referred to as Sí Gaoithe, which translates as ‘fairy wind’.

Caolain and others were chatting about how it showed the quality of the hay being made.

“It’s a good sign. It’s good hay if it can take off in the wind that easily. The way we were thinking was that’s it’s great hay if it’s that dry and light,” Caolain said.

Whenever he can, Caolain enjoys capturing farming moments and has set up a Facebook page called Westmeath Agri Photography, where he shares his photos as a hobby.

The page has more than 7,000 likes and Caolain has said when his day’s work is done, it is nice to be able to get a change of scenery and visit other areas and see machinery.

“It’s a different way of getting to know people and just get out and about and see things,” he said.