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AN EARTHQUAKE of magnitude 4.0 has struck off the coast of Co Mayo this morning.
The quake, which struck just before 9am, hit at a depth of about three kilometres. It is the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the West of Ireland and was picked up by the recently-installed seismometer at the Cliffs of Moher in Clare.
Data from the British Geological Survey showed the epicentre of the quake as being approximately 30 miles west of Aughleam.
People living in the area reported that tremors were felt on land, with some light structural damage in some places.
Local radio station Midwest Radio broadcast listeners’ reports of damage such as cracked chimneys.
It is the second significant earthquake in as many years to hit the west of Ireland. The 2.7-magnitude trembler in May 2010 in Lisdoonvarna, located just 6 miles from the Cliffs of Moher, remains the strongest onshore earthquake recorded in Ireland since records began in 1978. It was also the first earthquake to be recorded in the southwest of the country in the same period.
The largest earthquake felt in Ireland occurred on the 19 July, 1984 with a magnitude 5.4, and was located off the coast of Wales. It also caused minor structural damage on the East Coast of Ireland.
Tom Blake, INSN Director and Experimental Officer with the School of Cosmic Physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), said:
Although Ireland does not sit on any major plate margin, it is still susceptible to earthquakes as we saw in may today and in Clare in 2010. The Cliffs of Moher seismometer would certainly was well placed to register and record this week’s earthquake. This was a very important seismic event as it was the first time that a tremor had occurred in this region since records began.
The seismograph image from the Cliffs of Moher seismometer:
Did you feel this morning’s tremor? Let us know in the comments, or send us pictures of any damage – pictures@thejournal.ie.
Thanks to Aidan Gill, Diarmuid Gielty and Brían MacSuibhne.
-Additional reporting by Sinéad O’Carroll
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Etzellent news.
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Would love a job from them
Me too!
As would I! I spend enough money on it…
Meant to post the above comment on our Cufflinks profile !
We use ETSY for our Cufflinks & the majority of sales come from the US on ETSY. Its is a very popular with shoppers in the states & seems to be growing at a good rate. For small shop owners in Ireland who cannot afford a website, nor have the knowledge having ETSY setting up in Ireland is very positive as they be encouraged to set up a shop. Ireland needs money & ETSY can help craft makers in Ireland export their goods. Has to be positive?
Never heard of them before… but having such a huge company come to Ireland is brilliant
No Pat Rabbitte they didn’t come because of highly skilled workforce they came to dodge taxes , the highly skilled workforce is a bonus
The ability to poach experienced staff from the likes of eBay and Amazons EMEA hq’s is reason enough to move here. If it was just the tax rate they’d be in Luxemburg.
The function of any company is to increase shareholder value. That’s no conspiracy, it’s common sense. If Ireland is able to offer effective incentives to entice companies to set up shop here, then good. Of course a company will choose where it sets up shop based on the benefits that country offers. Again, common sense. Job creation = good. A company and it’s employees contributing to the Irish economy = good. I can understand that people are less than happy in this country, but Ai don’t understand what people persist in trying to find a dark cloud behind every silver lining. Do people want this country to fail and to never recover? Can anyone give me an example of where griping bitterness and universal pessimism lead to either a economic or emotional upturn in a country?
We’re Irish. We’re good at doing misery, with all the wailing and gnashing to teeth that goes along with it. Point proved. But it’s not going to help us any. It’s just begrudgery to the point where we’re blinded by anything good in our lives at all. Could we all just call a truce and agree to avoid the directionless whinging?
Here here!
Agh I love etsy. :) love handmade stuff :) and yeay for jobs!!
Excellent news for Dublin and Ireland! I ? Etsy
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