Ninety-Nine Words for Rain (and One for Sun): SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2025

Meet the néaladóirí (cloud-watchers) and réadóirí (stargazers) from our past who, without the luxury of Met Éireann at their disposal, observed birds, trees, animals, as well as markers on land and sea for signs of weather change. The sheer richness and variety of terms they amassed reveal the closeness with which they observed the world around them. Swallows flying low foretold rain. The heron’s behaviour offered many hints: Aimsir chrua thirim nuair a bhíonn an corr éisc suas in aghaidh srutha chun na sléibhte (when the heron flies upstream to the mountains the weather will be dry but rough). Fearthainn nuair a thagann sí an abhainn anuas (when she goes downstream, it will rain).

Evoking countless sodden, shivery experiences on this Atlantic-swept island of ours, this beautifully illustrated gift book uses Irish words to grasp an almost-lost world through the wisdom stored in the Irish language.

Author: Manchán Magan
Publication Date: 05-09-2025
Format: Hardback
Pages: 256
Publisher: Gill

How long until I get my preorder?
Please note that when purchasing a preorder book, it will only be dispatched after the release date stated on the description above.
Preorders within the Republic of Ireland are usually processed, dispatched and delivered within 2-3 working days of the book’s release date.*
Preorders going to Northern Ireland and Great Britain are usually processed, dispatched and delivered within 3-8 working days of the book’s release date.*
For timelines on international deliveries, please refer to our Shipping & Delivery Page.
*Please note that during peak trade times this timeline may increase.

Why can’t I buy a preorder with any other item?
We work to process orders as soon as they’re placed so that you get your delivery as quickly as possible in one go. 
Preorders are not immediately dispatched as they are delivered upon the respective release date. This means there will be a wait between placing your order and receiving your order.
If you need to add more items to your basket, we recommend placing a separate order for this. We will send out all the items in your order in one delivery and preorder items will always arrive just after their respective release date.

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Once your order is shipped and physically in transit, we can no longer offer any amendments to your order.

How much is delivery?
We offer FREE delivery on all orders over €10 within the Republic of Ireland.
Delivery is just €3.95 for under under €10
Delivery starts from just €9 for orders to Northern Ireland and Great Britain
For international rates, please refer to our Shipping & Delivery Page.

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We provide a Tracking Reference for all orders placed online as standard.
Once your order is dispatched, you will receive an email with a custom An Post link to track your delivery every step of the way.

Can I cancel/amend my order once it’s placed?
Once your order is placed we work as quickly as possible to dispatch your order to you so we cannot promise this is always possible.
However, if you’ve made a mistake on your order and you’d like to change it, please contact our online team at customercare@bookstation.ie and we will try to fix this for you before your order is dispatched.
Once an order is shipped and in transit, we can no longer offer any amendments to your order.

SHIPPING
FREE delivery on all orders over €10* ✅
Orders dispatched within 2 working days ✅
An Post Tracking provided on all orders ✅

Republic of Ireland
*FREE on all orders over €10
€3.95 for orders under €10

UK & Northern Ireland
Shipping from just €7

*Republic of Ireland only.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
Europe - Shipping from just €9
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Canada - Shipping from just €16
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New Zealand - Shipping from just €26

RETURNS
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The item is in re-saleable condition ✅
It’s within the 14 day Return Period ✅
You have a  valid proof of purchase ✅