A new study led by the ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University in Ireland has reconstructed a century of Irish sea-level change, revealing a stark acceleration in sea-level rise.
The research titled, "A Century of Sea-Level Change in Ireland (1925–2024)" and published in Ocean Science combines tide-gauge records from six locations, including newly digitised historical records from Cork, Tarbert and Galway.
The study uses measurements dating to 1925 and provides the most comprehensive picture yet of a century of relative sea-level change around Ireland. Current rates of sea level rise around Ireland are the highest in 100 years. The results show that Ireland is not escaping sea levels that are rising globally due to man-made climate change.
Although the acceleration is widespread, the century-long record also shows important differences between locations. Between 1925 and 2024, the lowest long-term modelled rate was recorded at Belfast, while the highest was at Tarbert, Co Kerry. The differences underline the need to account for local and regional conditions, including vertical land movement, environmental factors and measurement effects.
The study also compares Irish sea level change with global sea-level datasets. From the 1990s, the Irish reconstruction follows an upward trajectory to the global record. The recent acceleration around Ireland is consistent with wider global sea-level trends.
The study's century-long perspective is a key strength. Digitising observations previously held on paper records enables researchers to examine the timescales needed to understand long-term coastal change.
The findings show that sea-level rise around Ireland has accelerated since 2000, with current rates several times the average for most of the twentieth century.
For Ireland's coastal communities, infrastructure providers and planning authorities, understanding this changing rate is important to assessing future coastal risk and adaptation needs.
Dr Patrick McLoughlin , lead author and postdoctoral researcher at Maynooth University's ICARUS Climate Research Centre, said: "This century-long record gives us a much clearer picture of how sea level around Ireland has changed over time. The key finding is that the rate we are seeing today is very different from the average rate across most of the twentieth century. Sea level is rising faster, and understanding that acceleration, including its local variations is crucial for planning for future coastal change."
Dr Gerard McCarthy , Associate Professor, principle investigator for the sea-level research and oceanographer at Maynooth University's ICARUS Climate Research Centre said: "For many years, Irish sea level records were too short to conclusively show sea level rise here. The study is the culmination of 10 years of sea level research in Ireland, building on data from the National Tide Gauge Network and extending to the past century using painstaking data archaeology.This landmark publication shows us that climate change-driven sea-level rise is coming home to roost for Ireland."
Dr Glenn Nolan , Director of Marine Environment and Food Safety Services at the Marine Institute , said: "The research insights yielded into sea level rise around Ireland's coast demonstrates the benefits of supporting long-term ocean observation programmes in Irish waters combined with advanced analysis techniques to inform climate adaptation policy in Ireland for future generations."
Researchers from the University of Limerick, University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin also contributed to the study.
