Weather trends have dominated Irish Google searches since Google opened its first office in Ireland in 2003, according to a new report.
Specialty social data agency Methods+Mastery has compiled a list of the biggest Google search trends of the past two decades to mark the anniversary, discovering that Irish people frequently search about the weather.
The study found that Carrick-on-Shannon in County Leitrim is the most weather-obsessed town in Ireland, closely followed by Tramore in Waterford and New Ross in Wexford.
Weather searches have closely followed news topics of the year.
When record-breaking gripped Ireland during the summer of 2018, the top weather-related searches in Ireland centered around the heatwave and when it would end.
"How long will the heatwave last?" was the top weather-related search in 2018, followed by "When will the heatwave end?".
Meanwhile, floods dominated Google searches in 2011 when a period of heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding, leaving part of Dundrum Shopping Centre underwater.
In that case, "Dublin floods" and "Dundrum flooding" were the top weather searches in 2011.
"Storm Ophelia" has been the most-searched-for storm in Ireland over the past 20 years, followed by Storm Lorenzo and Storm Calum. Taking place in October 2017, Ophelia was the worst storm to hit Ireland in over 50 years and caused widespread business and school closures.
When Irish people are not googling about the weather, they tend to google about sports and current affairs.
In 2012, for example, the Olympics were the most-searched-for sporting event in Ireland, with Irish people particularly interested in Katie Taylor's attempts to win gold in women's boxing.
"When is Katie Taylor fighting in the Olympics?" was the top trending question during the 2012 Olympics, while "Annalise Murphy" was the top-searched Irish Olympian during the 2016 Games.
Murphy won a silver medal in the women's Laser Radial in Rio in 2016.
Irish people have been asking Google millions of questions every day, with "how to make pancakes" regularly topping the trending searches over the past 20 years.
Irish people have also been searching for definitions related to ongoing news events, regularly looking up the definition of "impeachment" in 2019. Meanwhile, "twerk" was the most-searched-for definition in 2013 after the emergence of the new viral dance.
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