"The strength estimated at the source was 4.9 on the Richter scale and this was strong enough to be felt considerably in Ireland, " said Tom Blake, experimental officer at DIAS. "We would get earthquakes in Ireland once or even twice a year and, while they are mostly low down on the Richter scale, we have had events that have been over five points."

The most recent earthquake of note that originated in Ireland occurred in Wicklow in December 2005. This measured 2.8 on the Richter scale and caused a small landslide at Killiney Bay. One of the strongest earthquakes in Irish history occurred on the east coast of the country in July 1984, reaching 5.4 on the Richter scale.

"A lot of people in Dublin would remember that day, " Blake told the Sunday Tribune. "Chimneys fell down, mirrors on walls cracked and lampshades were swinging. It was a significant event and there's no reason why it won't happen again."

Because of this, Blake has expressed concern that buildings in Ireland no longer have a height restriction placed on them. "Even a slight seismic tremor can have an effect on buildings and with the move to high-rise buildings we urgently need much more information on seismic risk and hazards, " he said.

Earthquakes occur when the earth's plates move and these events are most frequent along the plates' fault lines in areas such as the San Andreas fault in California and the Pacific Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean. Although Ireland is not on a fault line, this country is still susceptible to earthquakes in the southeast and in the northwest. This is mainly due to the movement of the Caledonian plate beneath.

"We have no national seismic utility in place and no national warning system, although there is an obvious need for it where tsunamis are concerned, " said Blake.

Our position on the Atlantic means the southwest coast would be the first to feel the brunt of tsunamis caused by earthquakes in the Caribbean. Last month, an earthquake which occurred in the Azores, and measured 6.2 on the Richter scale, could have affected Ireland.

"If that earthquake had generated a tsunami, there would be absolutely nothing to stop that wave reaching our south coast, " said Blake.

"And there would be no warning system in place except for us. It is very important that we start investigating seismic activity in Ireland, that we get proper requirements for structures and get a plan in place in the event of an emergency."