Galway Bay fm newsroom - It's been revealed that buildings across Galway are at the greatest risk nationwide from sinkholes and subsidence.
Subsidence occurs when the surface ‘sinks’ unexpectedly - which can lead to damaged or destroyed buildings, land and other infrastructure.
Earlier this week, a GAA pitch in Co. Monaghan was destroyed by a sinkhole - leading to the evacuation of a nearby school and the closure of local roads.
Since then, location intelligence software firm GAMMA has identified other areas that may be at risk from similar occurrences.
Using its risk assessment reporting tool known as 'Perilfinder', it's identified Galway, Clare and Roscommon as the counties where buildings are most exposed to potential subsidence issues.
Each county has more than 15 percent of their total buildings - both residential and commercial - falling within a high-risk zone.
That's significantly higher than the national average of just 5 percent of buildings lying within areas vulnerable to subsidence events.
The map produced by Gamma shows a particularly strong belt of high-risk areas running from South Mayo, through Galway and stretching into North Limerick.
According to the Irish Examiner, buildings in Counties Wexford and Wicklow are the least likely to be affected by subsidence issues.
