Tremor and houses shaken as earthquake hit part of Ireland in early hours of the morning

Alan Foley
By Alan Foley

Managing Editor, Donegal, Letterkenny

Published 6th May 2023, 11:33 BST
The tremor is understood to have originated nearly Dunleweyplaceholder image
The tremor is understood to have originated nearly Dunlewey

People in the north-west of the country last night wondered what a loud noise and tremor was that some claim literally shook their homes momentarily and the Irish National Seismic Network confirmed Donegal experienced a preliminary 2.7 magnitude earthquake

North-west Donegal experienced a preliminary 2.7 magnitude earthquake in the early hours, according to the Irish National Seismic Network.

The tremor is understood to have originated nearly Dunlewey and was felt across the area. One person in the Churchill vicinity said “our house just shook” at approximately 1:30am, with others saying: “It woke the whole house” and "I literally jumped out of bed," with another commenting “definitely couldn't have been thunder.”

“At 00:32 UTC (Irish summer time minus one hour) on the 6th of May 2023 an M2.7 earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 5 km," Irish National Seismic Network said this morning. "The event occurred approximately 3 km southeast of Dunlewy in Donegal, Ireland (see map below, red dot). The Irish National Seismic Network (INSN) has received reports that the event was felt throughout the Donegal area.placeholder image
“At 00:32 UTC (Irish summer time minus one hour) on the 6th of May 2023 an M2.7 earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 5 km," Irish National Seismic Network said this morning. "The event occurred approximately 3 km southeast of Dunlewy in Donegal, Ireland (see map below, red dot). The Irish National Seismic Network (INSN) has received reports that the event was felt throughout the Donegal area.
“The event was recorded by seismic stations in the Irish National Seismic Network (INSN), see figure below.”placeholder image
“The event was recorded by seismic stations in the Irish National Seismic Network (INSN), see figure below.”

The tremor was felt across the area at approximately 1:30am, which is UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) plus one hour in Ireland.

In April 2019, Donegal was struck by a 2.4 magnitude earthquake. Residents in the south and south west of the county  reported a tremor lasting more than 10 seconds.

Related topics:DonegalEarthquake
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