DONEGAL postman Michael Gallagher may be 90 per cent sure there is going to be a white Christmas, but two Irish bookmakers believe the prospect is becoming increasingly unlikely.
Paddy Power was yesterday offering odds of 9/4 on the chances of snowfall tomorrow, in from 5/4, while Boylesport also extended the odds from 6/4 to 9/4.
Leon Blanche of Boylesport said their definition of a white Christmas was at least an inch (25mm) of snow at Dublin airport on Christmas Day.
The last time that happened was in 2004, but with the recent cold snap bookies have noted a tenfold increase in bets on a white Christmas this time around.
“A lot of people were backing it to happen, and in the last week, with the updated weather forecast, we had to push it out,” he said.
“It doesn’t have to be a lot of snow, but it has to be proper snow. It can’t be any slush or anything like that.”
Mr Blanche said while Boylesport had taken numerous small bets of €5, €10 or €20 on a white Christmas, there had been no major punts.
“People get very into the Christmas spirit . . .They like the idea of waking up to a white Christmas and getting a few euro in their pocket as a bonus.”
Mr Gallagher, a postman renowned for predicting the weather using ancient methods learned in the Blue Stack mountains, uses nature and the behaviour of animals for his forecasts.
The behaviour of sheep, cattle and foxes all point to a “hunger in everything” which he said suggested an intense cold snap until Christmas at least was on its way.
Sharon McHugh of Paddy Power said many speculative punters had taken heed of Mr Gallagher.
“When he said it and temperatures fell people got a bit crazy, and as soon as we saw some frost people got very excited and we had thousands of bets.”
Paddy Power believes the prospect of a white Christmas in the North is more likely, with the odds of snowfall at Belfast airport tomorrow at 2/1, while it was offering 9/4 on the possibility at Cork airport. “We will pay out if a single snowflake falls at one of the airports. They have some fancy gear at the Met stations there to measure if it’s the case.”
STEVEN CARROLL