Every cloud, and all that.

It’s been a glorious summer, and Cork has basked in sunshine and warmth for months on end.

The bad news is that this is seen as a sign that climate change is real and advancing at an alarming rate, not just in Ireland, but across the broiling and wildfire-riven continent.

The good news, in comparison, may sound a little trite, but there is a growing belief that this country can become a haven for tourists in the years ahead.

In a volte-face that nobody saw coming in the rain-lashed Irish summers of the past, the theory goes that the good people of Spain, Italy, the UK, and France will be keen to abandon their unbearably hot homes and head for a break to the sunny but still temperate climes of Ireland.

This will of course be a shot in the arm for our economy and hospitality industry, if not so much for our transport infrastructure.

It also means busy times ahead for our tourism industry, as we strive to convince people that there is plenty to see and do on this little island, and not just a cooling breeze.

The template has been set in recent times with the successful inauguration of the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East, but I reckon here in Cork we have a head start on everyone else when it comes to beautiful........

© Evening Echo