Old Moore's Almanac

This article is about the Irish publication. For the English publication, see Old Moore's Almanack.

Old Moore's Almanac is an almanac which has been published for nearly two and a half centuries. Its founder, Theophilus Moore, ran a classical academy at Milltown which was then a village near Dublin (since that time, it has been incorporated into the city). A teacher of Irish, English, Greek and Latin, he became known as a clever mathematician and a veritable wizard of astrology, gaining the nickname 'The Irish Merlin'. He published his Old Moore's Almanac for the first time in 1764, and received such support that the other Irish almanacs gradually dwindled away. Theophilus Moore is now buried in the Drumcondra Churchyard, in Dublin, but the tradition of Old Moore's Almanac continues unbroken to this day.

The Old Moore's Almanac is not to be confused with Old Moore's Almanack (with a "k"), an English publication dating from 1697.

The Old Moore's Almanac is published annually in November. The current owners of the Old Moore's Almanac possess back issues dating from 1914 onwards. The magazine has traditionally been a resource for the agricultural community in rural Ireland. However, since its re-launch in 2010, the magazine is now full colour and now has full editorial features. Topics include the revival of lost Irish traditions, technology, urban farming, country sporting pursuits, unusual breeds of animals, recipes, hints and tips, the paranormal, traditional medicine, horoscopes, and an analysis of antique issues of the Almanac (pre-1950). The circulation of the hard copy is around 45,000, with most sales achieved in Athlone, Dublin, Galway and Cork. The predictions are the most popular section of the Almanac. The in-house psychic remains anonymous, often quoting that he "likes to stay under the radar" and away from public life.

Predictions

The almanac also includes monthly predictions in a whimsical style, for Ireland and the world. The weather predictions always receive a lot of attention in Ireland, where the weather is a highly prized conversation subject. For example, the 2013 predictions include:

• January: "The debt crisis in Europe will get worse before it gets better. Ireland will be pulled into more detailed restructuring and market fiddling to save our bacon. Tiger Woods will find love this year, but he won’t stay faithful. Silvio Berlusconi is all over the news in 2013, as is the Vatican. Again. January’s weather will be surprisingly okay, considering that this year again will have miserable weather. It’s not as cold and dark as in previous years, but the light icy rain will be ever-present. Across the world, it will continue to freak us out...storms, volcanoes, hurricanes and droughts all where they are not supposed to be."

See also

• Old Farmer's Almanac
• Farmers' Almanac
• Poor Richard's Almanack

External links

• Official site