Parts of Fermanagh shook on Monday evening after being struck by a 2.1 magnitude earthquake.

Residents in Belleek, Garrison, Kesh and Ballyshannon in County Donegal reported a tremor shortly before 9.30pm. Some have said they felt their homes “shaking” while others likened it to a bomb going off.

According to the Donegal Weather Channel the event was recorded on the stations of the Irish National Seismic Network (INSN). Data shows the earthquake was recorded at the Donegal Seismograms station measuring 2.1.

SDLP Councillor John Coyle was out canvassing when he heard the earthquake.

Elaine Gormley, who lives near Castle Caldwell, was sitting at home watching TV when she felt a “shudder” which lasted for eight or nine seconds.

“Whenever it happened, I jokingly said that must have been an earthquake, but my mummy said it felt more like an explosion,” explained Elaine. “We were just watching TV and it sounded like really close thunder, but you knew it wasn’t thunder because it wasn’t coming from the sky.

“The house, I wouldn’t say vibrated, it was more like a shudder. It was really weird to be honest. It went on for long enough we were kind of sitting, waiting on the electric to go out.”

Elaine got in contact with her sister who lives in Belleek and she also felt it. “I was surprised it was an earthquake until I saw it had come out as 2.1 magnitude,” added Elaine.

A local butcher in Belleek saw the more humourous side to it all.

“We are three or four yards further up the street than we were yesterday. There was a tumbling paddy hit and there is not a tooth left in it. He will have to get a full set now,” he joked.

Earthquakes in Ireland are very rare with the island being the quietest place for seismic activity in Europe.

Details of the quake were first reported by the Irish National Seismic Network, which is run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies in co-operation with the Geological Survey of Ireland.

It reported that the epicentre was about nine miles south-east of Donegal town and nine miles north-east of Ballyshannon. The network has asked members of the public who experienced the tremors to contact them with information.