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Dunmore East

Waterford City

Ocean Waves

These pictures were taken in various storms over a 12 year period,
on Ireland's southern Atlantic coast, about 10 miles from Waterford City . Here in Waterford, we're on the "sheltered" side of Ireland, and significant wave heights on the coast rarely reach 25 feet, even in the worst winter storms. On the western seaboard, significant wave height can occasionally reach 30 - 35 feet. Offshore waves are a good deal higher again.

15-18' swell (This picture taken by Dorothy Cherry in the 1960's). A great book on waves is "Waves and Beaches" by Willard Bascom, Published in 1964 by Anchor Books, Doubleday & Company, it's got a good balance between the technical bits and the plain English bits. See also IrishTrawlers.com for the best paintings I've seen of the sea and fishing boats (by fisherman and artist Nicky Praed).

They may not look it here, but these waves, generated by Hurricane Danielle in September 1998, were about 25 foot high.

Foam covered cliff

Sky filled with foam from cliff in previous photo

"...magic casements, opening on the foam of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn." Keats - Ode To A Nightingale

"Break, break, break On thy cold, grey stones, O sea! And I would that my tongue could utter The thoughts that arise in me". Tennyson Back to Irish Seascapes

Last updated April 17th 2000.
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be reproduced without written permission.

If you have any enquiries, complaints or suggestions please e-mail me at earrings@eircom.net