The 2,500 sightings—a 50% increase on 2007 numbers—submitted can be viewed on www.greenwave.ie.

Some of the interesting results to come back from the data collected by schools showed that the north and northwest had unusually fine weather this spring; dry with lots of sun; primroses appeared a month earlier than last year and some other species appeared later than usual though with the horse chestnut and hawthorn appearing three weeks and two weeks later than usual respectively.

Gerald Fleming, RTE weather broadcaster, said that “with every year’s records, we compile a clearer picture of the arrival of spring to our shores”.