"The only good news was that it did not rain :)"
Can't have been Scotland!
I dunno - I've ridden bikes round Scotland a few times and it didn't rain appreciably much more than in northern England.
Ireland on the other hand - out of all the days I've ridden there I think we only had one or two rain-free days. And, no matter how good your waterproofs are, the rain will eventually get through. And putting on cold, wet bike leathers in the morning is not an enjoyable experience..