The Gulf Stream
Ireland is in a lucky location, perched on the far west of Europe, on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. In this position, we receive large amounts of wet and windy weather, but more importantly, we are situated in the path of the Gulf Stream. This brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico cross the Atlantic until it divides, just off the coast of Kerry, bringing its benign influence along our south coast and also northwards along the west coast, around Donegal and the coast of Northern Ireland and on to the west coast of Scotland. Due to the Gulf Stream, in winter, the temperatures in these areas do not fall as low as they do further inland, so the coastal areas continue to have the warmer, damp conditions that fuchsias love.