Geography of Ireland
Waste disposal |
Ireland is an island in Northern Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean. The island, of up to around 480 km north-south, and 275 km east-west, lies near the western edge of the European continental shelf, part of the Eurasian Plate. Its main geographical features include low central plains surrounded by coastal mountains. The highest peak is Carrauntoohil (Irish: Corrán Tuathail), which is 1,039 metres (3,409 ft) above sea level. The western coastline is rugged, with many islands, peninsulas, headlands and bays, while the southern and northern coasts feature a smaller number of substantial sea inlets, such as Lough Foyle and Cork Harbour; no part of the land is more than around 110 km from the sea. It was administratively divided into 32 counties, gathered in 4 provinces, though current arrangements, especially in Northern Ireland, differ from this model. The island is almost bisected by the River Shannon, which at 360.5 km (224 mi) with a 102.1 km (63 mi) estuary is the longest river in Ireland and flows south from County Cavan in the province of Ulster to form the boundary between Connacht and Leinster, and later Munster, and meet the Atlantic just south and west of Limerick. There are a number of sizeable lakes along Ireland's rivers, of which Lough Neagh is the largest.
Politically, the island consists of the
The island has a temperate oceanic climate, mild and humid, and is warmer than other landmasses at the same latitude due to its position vis-a-vis the winds on the Atllantic Ocean, and ocean currents and circulations. The island is one of the least forested areas in Europe, though afforestation is growing, but has a strong agricultural sector. It has a limited range of mineral resources, and has only had two major gas finds, and none in the oil sector. Hydroelectric energy is actively used, and wind farms are extending; neither solar nor tidal energy is as yet much exploited.
Geological development
The geology of Ireland is diverse. Different regions contain rocks belonging to different geological periods, dating back almost 2 billion years. The oldest known Irish
Ireland's geological history includes a wide range of elements, from
Most of Ireland was probably above sea level during the
Physical geography
Mountain ranges
Ireland consists of a mostly flat low-lying area in what are known as the Midlands, ringed by mountain ranges such as (beginning in County Cork and working counter-clockwise) the
Ireland is sometimes known as the "Emerald Isle" because of its green landscape.[24][25][26]
Rivers and lakes
Waterbodies accounted for around 2% of the land area of Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland are over 74,000 km of rivers and streams, more than 125,000 hectares of lake and over 3,000 hectares of reservoirs; these are not evenly distributed - over 30% of the watercourse length is found in Counties Cork, Donegal and Mayo, while Counties Mayo and Galway hold over 40% of the total lake area. Almost all of the reservoir area lies in just two counties, Wicklow (2/3) and Cork (1/3).[27] In Northern Ireland, Lough Neagh is by far the leading source of water.[28]
The River Shannon, at 360.5 km (224.0 mi) in length, is the longest river in Ireland and Britain. With a drainage area of 16,865 km2 (6,512 sq mi),[29] the Shannon River Basin covers one-fifth of the island. The Shannon crosses 11 counties and divides the west of Ireland from the south and east. The river develops into three large lakes along its course, Lough Allen, Lough Ree, and Lough Derg.[22] The River Shannon enters the Atlantic Ocean at Limerick city along the Shannon Estuary.[18]
Other major rivers include the
Lough Neagh, in Ulster,[22] is the largest lake in Ireland and Britain with an area of 392 km2 (151 sq mi). The largest lake in the Republic of Ireland is Lough Corrib 176 km2 (68 sq mi). Other large lakes, besides the three major Shannon examples, include the two linked lakes known as Lough Erne, Lough Mask and Lough Corrib, and Lough Conn.[22][18]
Inlets
In County Donegal,
Dublin Bay is the next sizeable inlet. The east coast of Ireland has no major inlets until Wexford Harbour at the mouth of the River Slaney.[33] On the south coast, Waterford Harbour is situated at the mouth of the River Suir[34] (into which the other two of the Three Sisters (River Nore and River Barrow) flow). The next major inlet is Cork Harbour, at the mouth of the River Lee, in which Great Island is situated.[35]
A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 565 km2 (218 sq mi) of tidal flats in Ireland, making it the 43rd-ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.[36]
Headlands
Malin Head is the most northerly point in Ireland,[37] while Mizen Head is one of the most southern points, hence the term "from Malin to Mizen" (or the reverse) is used for anything applying to the island of Ireland as a whole. Carnsore Point is another extreme point of Ireland, being the southeasternmost point of Ireland. Hook Head and the Old Head of Kinsale are two of many headlands along the south coast.[38][39] Loop Head is the headland at which County Clare comes to a point on the west coast of Ireland, with the Atlantic on the north, and the Shannon estuary to the south.[40] Hag's Head is another headland further up Clare's north/western coastline, with the Cliffs of Moher along the coastline north of the point.[41]
Islands and peninsulas
Achill Island, off the west coast, is the largest of Ireland's offshore islands. Achill is inhabited, and is permanently connected to the mainland by a bridge.
Some of the best-known peninsulas in Ireland are in Counties Cork and Kerry: the
Ireland's most northerly undisputed land feature is Inishtrahull island, off Malin Head.
The
Forests
Ireland, like the neighbouring Great Britain, was once covered in forest. Clearing of forests began in the Neolithic Age and accelerated following the Tudor Conquest, resulting in forest cover of only 1% by the start of the twentieth century.[52] As of 2017, total tree cover in the Republic of Ireland stood at 11% of land area[53] but the figure for native forest stood at just 2% in 2018, the third lowest in Europe, behind Iceland and Malta.[54]
Marina geography
As the continental shelf extends far to the west and southwest, the larger of the two jurisdictions on the island has extensive seabed claims, exceeding 880,000 square kilometres, more than 10 times the land area.[55]
Climate
The
The influence of the North Atlantic Current also ensures the coastline of Ireland remains ice-free throughout the winter.[59] The climate in Ireland does not experience extreme weather, with tornadoes and similar weather features being rare.[60][61] However, Ireland is prone to eastward moving cyclones which come in from the North Atlantic.[62]
The prevailing wind comes from the southwest, breaking on the high mountains of the west coast.[57] Rainfall is therefore a particularly prominent part of western Irish life, with Valentia Island, off the west coast of County Kerry, getting over twice as much annual rainfall as Dublin on the east (1,557 mm or 61.3 in vs. 714 mm or 28.1 in).[63]
The overall mean temperature (measured 1990-2020) is 9.8 °C (49.6 °F). January and February are the coldest months of the year, with mean daily air temperatures of 5.3 to 5.5 °C (41.5 to 41.9 °F) during these months. July and August are the warmest, with mean daily temperatures of 15 to 15.2 °C (59.0 to 59.4 °F), whilst mean daily maximums in July and August are 18.9 to 19.1 °C (66.0 to 66.4 °F), lower near the coast, higher inland.[64] The sunniest months are May and June, with an average of five to seven hours sunshine per day.[65]
Though extreme weather events in Ireland are comparatively rare when compared with other countries in the European Continent, they do occur. Atlantic depressions, occurring mainly in the months of December, January and February, can occasionally bring winds of up to 160 km/h or 99 mph to Western coastal counties; while the summer months, and particularly around late July/early August, thunderstorms can develop.[66][67][68]
The tables below show mean 30-year climate averages for Ireland's two largest cities, taken from the weather stations at Dublin Airport and Belfast International Airport respectively. The state metrological service for the Republic of Ireland is Met Éireann, while the Met Office monitors climate data for Northern Ireland.[69]
Climate data for Dublin Airport (DUB),[a] 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1881–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) |
18.1 (64.6) |
23.4 (74.1) |
22.7 (72.9) |
26.8 (80.2) |
28.7 (83.7) |
31.0 (87.8) |
30.6 (87.1) |
27.6 (81.7) |
24.2 (75.6) |
19.4 (66.9) |
17.1 (62.8) |
31.0 (87.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) |
8.3 (46.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
12.1 (53.8) |
14.8 (58.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
19.5 (67.1) |
19.2 (66.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
13.6 (56.5) |
10.3 (50.5) |
8.3 (46.9) |
13.3 (55.9) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.3 (41.5) |
5.3 (41.5) |
6.8 (44.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.6 (56.5) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.3 (59.5) |
13.4 (56.1) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7.4 (45.3) |
5.6 (42.1) |
9.8 (49.6) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.4 (36.3) |
2.3 (36.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
4.6 (40.3) |
6.9 (44.4) |
9.6 (49.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
9.8 (49.6) |
7.3 (45.1) |
4.5 (40.1) |
2.8 (37.0) |
6.4 (43.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | −15.6 (3.9) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
1.8 (35.2) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
−15.7 (3.7) |
−15.7 (3.7) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 62.6 (2.46) |
48.8 (1.92) |
52.7 (2.07) |
54.1 (2.13) |
59.5 (2.34) |
66.7 (2.63) |
56.2 (2.21) |
73.3 (2.89) |
59.5 (2.34) |
79.0 (3.11) |
72.9 (2.87) |
72.7 (2.86) |
758.0 (29.84) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 129 |
Average snowy days | 4.6 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 16.6 |
Average relative humidity (%) (at 15:00 UTC)
|
80.6 | 75.7 | 71.0 | 68.3 | 68.0 | 68.3 | 69.0 | 69.3 | 71.5 | 75.1 | 80.3 | 83.1 | 73.3 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 59.2 | 76.1 | 109.1 | 157.4 | 195.2 | 173.3 | 164.1 | 160.1 | 129.8 | 103.9 | 71.0 | 52.8 | 1,452 |
Source: Met Éireann[70][71][72] |
Climate data for Belfast (BFS),[b] elevation: 63 m (207 ft), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1958–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
20.2 (68.4) |
21.8 (71.2) |
25.0 (77.0) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.0 (86.0) |
28.0 (82.4) |
25.6 (78.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.4 (61.5) |
15.0 (59.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.1 (44.8) |
7.5 (45.5) |
9.5 (49.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
15.0 (59.0) |
17.4 (63.3) |
19.0 (66.2) |
18.6 (65.5) |
16.4 (61.5) |
12.9 (55.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
7.4 (45.3) |
12.7 (54.9) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
4.6 (40.3) |
6.2 (43.2) |
8.1 (46.6) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.6 (56.5) |
15.4 (59.7) |
15.0 (59.0) |
13.0 (55.4) |
9.9 (49.8) |
6.8 (44.2) |
4.8 (40.6) |
9.4 (48.9) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
1.6 (34.9) |
2.9 (37.2) |
4.3 (39.7) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.7 (49.5) |
11.7 (53.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
9.5 (49.1) |
6.9 (44.4) |
4.0 (39.2) |
2.1 (35.8) |
6.1 (43.0) |
Record low °C (°F) | −12.8 (9.0) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
2.2 (36.0) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−8.6 (16.5) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 80.3 (3.16) |
57.7 (2.27) |
67.0 (2.64) |
58.0 (2.28) |
57.3 (2.26) |
61.5 (2.42) |
71.4 (2.81) |
83.8 (3.30) |
75.6 (2.98) |
89.6 (3.53) |
79.7 (3.14) |
79.3 (3.12) |
861.2 (33.91) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 14.8 | 12.1 | 14.0 | 11.4 | 11.7 | 11.3 | 12.9 | 13.9 | 12.6 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.0 | 157.5 |
Average snowy days | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
89 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 90 | 89 | 91 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 49.7 | 71.2 | 102.5 | 153.3 | 197.7 | 167.9 | 151.3 | 142.1 | 119.9 | 91.2 | 59.4 | 46.2 | 1,352.5 |
Source 1: Met Office[73] NOAA (relative humidity and snow days 1961-1990)[74] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: KNMI[75][76] |
Political and human geography
Ireland is divided into four provinces—Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster—and 32 counties.[77] Six of the nine Ulster counties form Northern Ireland and the other 26 form the state, Ireland. The map shows all 32 counties.
(Republic of) Ireland |
Northern Ireland |
From an administrative viewpoint, 23 of the counties in the Republic of Ireland are local government areas. Three contain more than one local government areas: the cities of Dublin, Cork and Galway have city councils and are administered separately from the counties bearing those names, and the remaining part of County Dublin is divided into Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal, and South Dublin.[77] There are therefore a total of 31 local authorities.
County Tipperary had two ridings, North Tipperary and South Tipperary, originally established in 1838, renamed in 2001[78] and amalgamated in 2014.[79] The cities of Limerick and Waterford were merged with their respective county councils in 2014 to form new city and county councils.
In making its recommendations on changes to Dáil constituencies, the Electoral Commission is required to avoid breaching county boundaries as far as practicable.[80]
In Northern Ireland, a major re-organisation of local government in 1973 replaced the six traditional counties and two
Natural resources
Fens and bogs
Ireland has 12,000 km2 (about 4,600 sq miles) of bogland,[87] consisting of two distinct types: blanket bogs and raised bogs. There is also a modest amount of surviving fen, a related landform.[88]: 5–12
Raised bogs, most commonly found in the Shannon basin, are scarcer than blanket bogs. They formed when depressions left behind after the ice age filled with water to form lakes. Debris from reeds in these lakes formed a layer of at the bottom of the water. This eventually choked the lakes and raised above the surface, forming raised bogs.[88]: 5–10 [89]
Blanket bogs are essentially a product of human activity aided by the moist Irish climate, having formed on sites where Neolithic farmers cleared trees for farming.[90] As the land so cleared fell into disuse, the soil began to leach and become more acidic, producing a suitable environment for the growth of heather and rushes. The debris from these plants accumulated and a layer of peat formed. One of the largest expanses of Atlantic blanket bog in Ireland is to be found in County Mayo.[88]: 10–12 [90]
Usage and concerns
Since the 17th century, peat has been cut for fuel for domestic heating and cooking, and it is called turf when so used. The process accelerated as commercial exploitation of bogs grew. In the 1940s, machines for cutting turf were introduced and larger-scale harvesting became possible. In the Republic, this became the responsibility of a semi-state company called Bord na Móna. In addition to domestic uses, commercially extracted turf is used in a number of industries, producing peat briquettes for domestic fuel and milled peat for electricity generation.[91] More recently peat is being combined with biomass for dual-firing electricity generation.[92]
In recent years, the destruction of bogs has raised environmental concerns. The issue is particularly acute for raised bogs which were more widely mined as they yield a higher-grade fuel than blanket bogs. Plans are now in place in both the Republic and Northern Ireland to conserve most of the remaining raised bogs on the island.[93]
Oil, natural gas and minerals
Ireland is the largest European producer of
Hydrocarbons
Offshore exploration for natural gas began in 1970.[95] The first major discovery was the Kinsale Head gas field in 1971.[96] Next were the smaller Ballycotton gas field in 1989,[95] and the Corrib gas field in 1996.[97] Gas from these fields is pumped ashore and used for both domestic and industrial purposes. The Helvick oil field, estimated to contain over 28 million barrels (4,500,000 m3) of oil, was discovered in 2000, and Barryroe, estimated to contain 1.6 billion barrels (250,000,000 m3) of oil, was discovered in 2012, although neither have been exploited.[98] In May 2007 the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (now replaced by the
In March 2012, the first commercial oil well was drilled 70 km (43 mi) off the Cork coast by Providence Resources, renamed Barryroe Offshore.
Renewable energy
Under the original 2009
Wind
While hydro generated power contributed most to Ireland's renewable energy during the during the 20th century, so far in the 21st century there has been a significant increase in the production of energy by wind spurred by climate change concerns.[106]
A floating 400MW wind farm off the coast of Northern Ireland was proposed for the North Channel in 2022 to be operating by 2029.[108] Another northern project, opened in October 2023, was set up under a corporate power purchase agreement in which Amazon, who backed the project, will be the off-taker of all the power produced by the 16-MW Ballykeel 7-turbine wind farm in County Antrim.[109]
In November 2023, EDF Renewables announced their Carrowkeel Wind Farm which will be a 30 Megawatt project for County Roscommon for completion in 2028 which should power more than 20,000 homes.[110]
Solar energy
As of the 2020 Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland report "Energy in Ireland", solar energy was only contributing 1% of renewable energy. Opposition to the visual impact of solar farms, and other forms of renewable energy, was noted as hindering some projects. DIT School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering's Professor Barry McMullin suggests that: "So while it’s the cheapest form of electricity you can get that’s only true if your demand for it happens to match when it’s available. But if what you actually want is electricity on tap, then solar PV doesn’t give you that".[111]
Solar energy for about 3,600 homes has been in production with 33,600 solar modules installed on 25 hectares near Ashford, County Wicklow since April 2022. It is the first such venture at scale in the Republic of Ireland, with a capacity of 8MW.[112] A forecast from ESB Networks suggests that by the end of 2023, the country will be producing 1GW. This is up from the 700MW being produced in mid-summer from 60,000 micro-generation customers, adding to the 371MWs of utility-scale installations.[113] 2013 saw a new 50 million Euro solar panel scheme specially for schools in eleven counties of the Republic, that should save typical schools between €1,200 to €1,600 per year. Connected to the grid, the up-to 6 kilowatt installation will be most efficient when the schools are not in use.[114]
The installed solar capacity of Northern Ireland rose to 372MW by 2022 from its initial 2MW in 2011 with the largest capacity increase in 2017 to 262MW.[citation needed] The first ground-based solar farm on the island is situated in the townland of Crookedstone, County Antrim, and is connected to Belfast International Airport, providing 27% of the airport's annual energy needs.[115] This wind farm was built by Lightsource and BP bought full control of the company in November 2023 having first invested in the company in 2017.[116]
Hydroelectric power
The first
A tidal energy system is in operation since 2008 in Strangford Lough producing 1.2 megawatts using an underwater windmill, whose rotors at driven by the tidal currents. The power is bought for ESB Independent's Republic and Northern Ireland consumers. The system has a capacity to produce enough electricity for about 1,000 homes.[122] Also in Northern Ireland, an Evopod tidal energy system has been tested and connected to the Marine Laboratory of Queen's University Belfast that should be connected to the electric grid.[123]
See also
- Extreme points of Ireland
- Gravity anomalies of Britain and Ireland
- Coastal landforms of Ireland
- Geographical centre of Ireland
Notes
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Bibliography
- Mitchell, Frank and Ryan, Michael. Reading the Irish landscape (1998). ISBN 1-86059-055-1
- Whittow, J. B. Geography and Scenery in Ireland (Penguin Books 1974)
- Holland, Charles, H and Sanders, Ian S. The Geology of Ireland 2nd ed. (2009). ISBN 1903765722
- Place-names, Diarmuid O Murchadha and Kevin Murray, in The Heritage of Ireland, ed. N. Buttimer et al., The Collins Press, Cork, 2000, pp. 146–155.
- A paper landscape:the Ordnance Survey in nineteenth-century Ireland, J.H. Andrews, London, 1975
- Monasticon Hibernicum, M. Archdall, 1786
- Etymological aetiologyin Irish tradition, R. Baumgarten, Eiru 41, pp. 115–122, 1990
- The Origin and History of Irish names of Places, Patrick Weston Joyce, three volumes, Dublin, 1869, 1875, 1913.
- Irish Place Names, D. Flanagan and L. Flanagan, Dublin, 1994
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- The Placenames of Westmeath, Paul Walsh, 1957
- The Placenames of Decies, P. Power, Cork, 1952
- The place-names of county Wicklow, Liam Price, seven volumes, Dublin, 1945–67
Online
- Abbot, Patrick. Ireland's Peat Bogs. Retrieved on 23 January 2008.
- Ireland – The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved on 23 January 2008.
- OnlineWeather.com – climate details for Ireland. Retrieved 2011-01-12
External links
- OSI FAQ – lists of the longest, highest and other statistics
- A discussion on GPS mapping in Ireland is available here (archived link). The discussion starts 8mins 18sec into the show. It aired on 18 Jan 2002 (archived link). Requires RealPlayer.