Earthquake of 1.1 magnitude recorded in County Donegal

Many people in the Ballybofey area of County Donegal have reported hearing a strange sound just before 8pm last night.

The Irish National Seismic Network has confirmed that 7.48.19pm on May, 2 2024, an 1.1 magnitude earthquake occurred near Ballybofey in County Donegal.

The event occurred at a depth of about 13km and was recorded and located by the Irish National Seismic Network (INSN).

Local teacher Brendan O’Donoghue, who manages the Quake Shake seismometer equipment at St Columba’s College in Stranorlar, confirmed that the equipment had recorded a very clear and local signal around the same time.

He is now urging anyone who heard the sound to come forward and let him know by emailing bodonoghue@stcolumbasstranorlar.ie.

He said, “At 7.48pm on Thursday evening, my children came running down the stairs asking me if I had heard the sound like snow sliding off the roof.

"I had heard nothing but I checked the seismometers and found a very clear, very local signal, probably within 10km of Ballybofey judging by the seismogram,” said Mr O’Donoghue.

The school’s seisometer, which operates as part of the Community Seismology Programme of Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, has picked up signals from all around the world.

Most recently, the tremors from the earthquake in Taiwan in April was recorded on the machine while the devastating earthquake that has claimed almost 8,000 lives in Turkey and Syria in February 2023 was also picked up.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 3rd May 2024