People of Offaly: Cathal Nolan
Born in Rhode in 1992, Cathal Nolan is one of Ireland’s best-known weather forecasters and the founder of Ireland’s Weather Channel.
A former student of Rhode National School and St Mary’s Secondary School in Edenderry, Cathal went on to study at University College Dublin and University College Cork. While work and education have taken him to France, Scotland, Dublin and Cork, Offaly has always remained home.
Cathal comes from the Nolan family of Edenderry and the Doolan family of Rhode, with strong family links to Blue Ball and Killoughey. As he puts it himself, he got the best of both sporting worlds, football through Rhode and hurling through his Killoughey heritage, which he proudly applies with Edenderry as his local hurling club.
Cathal’s fascination with weather began at home. His father, an amateur meteorologist, established a weather station in the family garden in 1996 and has kept a daily weather diary since 1997. That passion for Irish weather on his father’s side helped spark Cathal’s own lifelong interest in forecasting.
That interest eventually led him to establish Offaly’s Weather Channel in 2013. Feeling that the Midlands was often underrepresented in weather forecasting and weather warnings, Cathal set out to provide localised forecasts and information for people across the region. The project quickly grew into Midlands Weather Channel before eventually becoming Ireland’s Weather Channel.
From farmers and construction workers to emergency services, gardeners and families planning a day out, Cathal’s forecasts have become a trusted source of information for thousands. Though he admits that if somebody gets caught by an unexpected shower after hanging out the washing, he’s usually the one who gets the blame.
While many people enjoy sunshine and settled weather, Cathal admits it is severe weather that truly captures his attention.
“Generally speaking, the more abnormal and severe the weather is, the more excitable us weather forecasters tend to be. For me that could be anything from heavy snow, to damaging winds, floods, droughts and even wildfires.”
Away from forecasting, Cathal is passionate about Offaly’s history, people and landscapes.
Asked what being from Offaly means to him, Cathal’s pride in the county is clear.
“I’m very proud of where I come from and of the people of Offaly. As a county we’ve made a habit of punching well beyond our weight throughout history.”
He points to two sporting moments that sum up the spirit of the Faithful County. The first is Seamus Darby’s famous goal in 1982, a moment that brought down the mighty Kingdom and remains one of Irish sport’s great underdog stories. The second is the unforgettable 1998 All-Ireland semi-final controversy, when Offaly supporters entered the pitch at Croke Park in protest following a decision they felt had resulted in a sporting injustice.
For Cathal, those moments reflect something deeper about Offaly people.
“We’re genuine, humble, self-deprecating, we recognise injustice, we love a fight against the odds, and we treat rules in general as guidelines.”
When he wants to switch off, Cathal often finds himself exploring some of Offaly’s most beautiful locations.
Among his favourites are Moneen Bog in Tubberdaly, where restored wetlands now teem with wildlife, the historic slopes of Croghan Hill, and Glendossaun in the heart of the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
Of all of them, Glendossaun holds a special place.
“It’s the place where I feel most at peace.”
Despite travelling widely, Cathal says there is no feeling quite like crossing back into Offaly.
“Once you cross the Boyne Bridge in Edenderry and see the Welcome to Offaly sign, you’re home.”
And while much has changed over the years, he believes the essence of the county remains the same.
“It’s home, the place where I belong most in the world. Her people, her landscapes, her history and culture, her sporting heroes and her willingness to adapt to a challenge. We’re not called the Faithful County for nothing.”
People of Offaly – sharing the stories of Offaly people at home and abroad.
