Coastal Problems in Ireland

Since Ireland is an island it is surrounded by a lot of coast. While researching this week, I have found that Ireland experiences a lot of coastal erosion and problems. Because of frequent storms which cause high and heavy waves, Ireland's beaches and dunes are slowly starting to deteriate. Storm surges are influenced by meteorological conditions, mostly low atmospheric pressure and onshore winds and can contribute to the water levels. Coastal erosion can destroy beaches and can even start to affect houses and the environment for people living close to the shores. Ireland is working on a few things to prevent erosion from occurring. The have been using a strategy called "hold the line" which consists of methods used by engineering, for example they lay down lots of sand or large rocks where the water is coming up to in order to help prevent the sand from washing out the cliffs. 
http://www.engineersjournal.ie/coastal-erosion-around-ireland-and-engineering-solutions/

Cyclones

While researching cyclones this week, I have found they are very rare amongst Ireland. I am starting to realize that Ireland must be a pretty great place to live considering that nothing ever happens there and it seems to be pretty calm. The last cyclone to hit Ireland was called Hurricane Debbie In 1969. This was the biggest tropical cyclone of all time and the largest one since. Debbie originated from a tropical storm that started in Central Africa. As the storm reached Ireland, it was at its peak reaching wind speeds of 114mph measured just off shores of the island. Debbie caused 40-50 million dollars in damage and killed 18 people. Ireland sent out warning for this storm as they knew it would be hitting them, as well, they also shut down most towns and stores. This was pretty rare for Ireland considering that the climate is pretty normal year round. In the summer the weather is pretty warm in Ireland, and in the winter it doesn't get to cold.
http://www.intechopen.com/books/advances-in-hurricane-research-modelling-meteorology-preparedness-and-impacts/the-impact-of-hurricane-debbie-1961-and-hurricane-charley-1986-on-ireland

Sinkholes

While researching sinkholes in Ireland, I have found them to be very usual. Half of Ireland is formed of carboniferous limestone which doesn't seem to be very strong and can be dissolved in acidic water. In Irealnd, instead of being called sinkholes, they are known as dolines. Dolines are basically huge funnels in the ground that collapse under and form from heavy weight of rock or water on the surface of them. They say there around 6000 of them around Ireland. They then sink underground and form caves that can fill with water as well. The most common Dolines in Ieland are called "cover collapse dolines" which is when soil from the bottom suddenly gives out. This picture illustrates below.

These Dolines can be dangerous because if they are in the grass like the one above, it can be hard to see when approaching them. I couldn't find much on what people are doing in order to prevent these sinkholes, other than filling the small ones when they can.

http://www.gsi.ie/Newsletters/Sinkholes+in+Ireland.htm

Mass Wasting

What I found while researching Landslides this week, was that they are actually quite frequent in Ireland. Most of the time the landslides in Ireland are relatively small and are caused by the amount of rain that occurs. When it rains, the mud and soil on top of the surface gets washed away which causes it to poor down a mountain like Lava. Most of the time it does little to no damage because there is some much open land. However, if it does occur where people are living, it can cause road blocking or can sometimes cause damage to homes. From what I also read, Ireland is susceptible to sinkholes. This happens when dissolution weathers away the landscape and basically chemicals eat through the ground and rock. This can cause massive holes in the ground and can also create caves.. From reading, I couldn't find what Ireland is doing to prevent mass wasting.

http://kaytlinryanandireland.blogspot.com/2011/03/weathering-and-mass-wasting.html