A new study, carried out by Irish universities among others, has drawn a link between volcanic eruptions and severe winters in Ireland over a 1,200 year period.

Researchers have focused on the collection of monastic manuscripts known as the Irish Annals and data from glacier deposits which record volcanic ash.

Recently published in the science journal Environmental Research Letters, a report on the study shows the disruptions to climate caused by volcanic ash in the atmosphere were recorded in Ireland between the 5th and 17th Centuries.

Academics from UCC, Trinity College, Queens University Belfast and UCD were all involved in the study which matched major deposits of volcanic ash in the Greenland ice sheet to accounts of extreme weather by monks in the years 431-1649 A.D.

In total, 37 cold weather events in Ireland, some of which went on for two years or more, were matched to volcanic eruptions as recorded in glacial core samples.

The cold Irish climate and written tradition were both instrumental in the study. Due to its location, Ireland is more susceptible to the short-term climatic changes which follow major volcanic eruptions. Such changes were noted by monks - writing in both Irish and Latin.