SUMMER IS A distant memory to us at this stage.

And while winter hasn’t made itself fully known yet, we know the cold snap is on its way. Despite it coming calling at the same time every year, it still seems to manage to catch Irish people on the hop.

Here are just some of the ways in which Irish people deal with the weather.

1. Forget “man flu”…

Try IRISH flu. We have a particular way with managing to make a cold or a flu last for the longest time possible. And one major symptom of Irish flu is the inability to stop talking about it for even five minutes. When will our immune systems evolve to just deal with it?

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2. Fancy footwork

Who could forget our dear old friend on the RTE news? He goes before us all as a cautionary tale. Truly, a modern classic.

3. Gritmageddon

Where does all the grit go when you really need it? It seems that every year without fail, Ireland runs clean out of grit. Somewhere, there must be a grit cartel rubbing their hands together with glee at the thought of our streets.

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4. Shut down central

And, grit on the roads aside, you might as well forget about travelling if we land a bit of snow. With just even a centimetre of the stuff falling on Ireland, everything will close. Somehow, snowbound countries like Finland and Canada seem to manage without a problem. Teach us your secrets…

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5. Crisp and deep and even

Speaking of snow, it seems that Irish people are caught in a Catch-22 when it comes to the stuff. On the one hand, we’re all dreaming of a white Christmas, right? And there’s plenty of chat around whether or not the rain will stop it sticking. But then again, when we do get snow, all we can do is give out about it. Getting snowed in is the nightmare scenario we all dread. Seems we’re never happy, eh?

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6. Endless chat

One positive thing that can be said for the weather, is that it gives us something to talk about in all sorts of situations. What else would we chat about when stuck in the work lift with the boss? Or stuck on the phone to your auntie? God bless the weather, that’s what we say.

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One thing you should remember this winter is getting your boiler serviced. Avoid frozen pipes and missing out on a toastier home this winter. Bord Gáis Energy are giving 8% off gas and a FREE boiler service to anyone who switches back to them for gas. What’s more, check out @BordGaisEnergy and facebook.com/BordGaisEnergy for the chance to win free energy for a year over the next two weeks – starting tomorrow.