Leaving Certificate Geography

  • Home
  • Physical Geography
    • Skills (Maps, Photos, Graphs) >
      • Ordnance Survey Map skills
      • Aerial photographs
      • Graph skills
    • Horizons Second Edition >
      • Chapter 1 Plate Tectonics
      • Chapter 2 Folding and Faulting
      • Chapter 3 Earthquakes
      • Chapter 4 Volcanoes
      • Chapter 5 The rock cycle
      • Chapter 6 Weathering
      • Chapter 7 The Karst Landscape
      • Chapter 8 Mass Movement
      • Chapter 9 Rivers
      • Chapter 10 Coastal Studies
    • Planet and People physical chapters >
      • Plate tectonics >
        • Plate Tectonics 2
        • Plate Tectonics 3
      • Rock Formation and Cycle >
        • Rocks
        • Rock types and their formation
        • Rock Cycle
        • Rock Cycle 2
        • The Rock Cycle 3
        • Rock Landscapes: Limestone
        • Intrusive and Extrusive volcanic landforms
        • Human interaction with the rock cycle
        • Tara Mines case study
      • Folding and Faulting
      • Weathering and Erosion
      • River processes and features
      • Glaciation
      • Coastal Studies >
        • Coastal Studies Ms. Carr
  • Regional Geography
    • Horizons Regional Chapters >
      • Chapter 22 Concept of a region
      • Chapter 23 The Western Region
      • Chapter 24 The Greater Dublin Area
      • Chapter 25 The Paris Basin
      • Mezzogiorno: Peripheral European region
      • Subcontinental India
    • Planet and People Regional Chapters >
      • Regional Geography Outline
      • Definition of Regions
      • Ireland: The Greater Dublin Region - Core
      • West of Ireland - Ms. Carr
      • The West of Ireland : Peripheral Region
      • Core region: Paris Basin
      • European Regions (Core Periphery) >
        • Paris Basin: Ms. Carr
        • Mezzogiorno - peripheral region
        • Mezzogiorno: European Peripheral Region
      • Subcontinental Region: India >
        • Introduction
        • India: Powerpoint
        • India: Secondary Activities
        • India: Tertiary Activities
        • India: Ms. Carr
      • EU enlargement
  • Elective: Human Environment
    • Folens: Human Elective >
      • Chapter One: Populations
      • Chapter 2 Human development and overpopulation
      • Chapter 3 The dynamics of settlement
      • Chapter 4 Migration
      • Chapter 5 Urban problems
      • Chapter 6 Urban settlement and planning issues
    • Planet and People: Human Elective >
      • Chapter 1: Population Studies >
        • Population test
      • Chapter 2 Overpopulation in Sudan >
        • Overpopulation question
        • Overpopulation and Resources
      • Chapter 3: Migration >
        • Migration Test
        • Student presentations
        • Student Presentations 2
      • Chapter 4 Settlement >
        • Settlement Patterns
        • Student work
        • Student work 2
      • Urban Sprawl-Introduction
      • Chaper 5 Three urban land use models >
        • Chapter 5: Land use change
      • Chapter 6 Urban problems in developed world cities
      • Chapter 7 Heritage Issues & Environmental Issues
      • Chapter 8 Urban planning strategies in Ireland >
        • Chapter 9 Developing world cities / counter-urbanisation
  • Culture and Identity (Hons)
    • Physical indicators of population
    • Cultural indicators of population
    • Nationality and Nation states
    • Case study: Switzerland
  • Geoecology (Hons)
    • Soils
    • Aridisoils
    • Brown earth soils
    • Latosols - Tropical rainforest soil
    • Soil Formation
    • Soil erosion - human activities
    • Soil erosion - preventative methods
    • Biome: Tropical rainforest
  • Field Investigation
    • 2013 field study
  • Exam and Papers
    • Leaving Cert Exam
    • Honours Paper
    • Ordinary Paper
    • What do I study?
  • Revision Centre
    • Physical Revision >
      • Physical Powerpoints
      • Plate tectonic questions
      • Volcano & Earthquake questions
      • Rock revision
      • River Revision
      • Glaciation Revision
    • Regional Revision >
      • Regional Powerpoints
      • EU expansion revision
      • European Regional Revision
    • Elective Revision >
      • Human Elective Powerpoints
      • Economic short questions (H&O)
    • Geoecology Option >
      • Geoecology Powerpoints
      • Geoecology questions
    • Sample Answers >
      • Sample Answers Outline
      • Physical: Sample Answers >
        • Waterfall: River Landform
        • Delta: River Landform
        • Cirques: Glacial landform
        • Drumlin: Glacial landform
        • Cave,Arch,Stack,Stump: Coastal landform
        • Beaches: Coastal landform
        • Isostatic and Eustatic Processes
        • Human control of natural processes
        • Impact of Flood Control
        • Impact of Coastal Management
        • Landform in a Karst landscape
        • Weathering and Erosion
      • Regional: Sample Answers >
        • Regions are areas defined by one or more criteria (two discussed)
        • Agriculture in Irish region influenced by factors
        • Development of agriculture in Mezzo influenced by factors
        • Development of agriculture in Paris Basin influenced by factors
        • Development of secondary activities in a Core Region
        • Industry in The Greater Dublin Area
        • The Gaeltacht
        • Climatic Region: The Cool Temperate Oceanic Climate
        • Tertiary activities in the Paris Basin
        • Two EU policies and their impact
        • EU expansion and the impact on a member state
        • The defining role of Culture (India)
        • Urban Growth : Kolkata, India
        • Growth of an urban area Paris
        • Culture defining a region - India -outline
      • Elective: Sample Answers >
        • Migration
        • Overpopulation
        • Three Urban Models
        • Geoecology: Sample Essays >
          • Soil Formation
          • Characteristics of soil
          • How human activities can accelerate soil erosion
          • Natural processes and soil
          • Tropical rainforest biome
          • Human interaction with a biome
        • Urban problems and solutions
        • Map work: Location of a Town
      • Swapped powerpoints
  • General Information
    • Geography at Leaving Cert level
  • Home
  • Physical Geography
    • Skills (Maps, Photos, Graphs) >
      • Ordnance Survey Map skills
      • Aerial photographs
      • Graph skills
    • Horizons Second Edition >
      • Chapter 1 Plate Tectonics
      • Chapter 2 Folding and Faulting
      • Chapter 3 Earthquakes
      • Chapter 4 Volcanoes
      • Chapter 5 The rock cycle
      • Chapter 6 Weathering
      • Chapter 7 The Karst Landscape
      • Chapter 8 Mass Movement
      • Chapter 9 Rivers
      • Chapter 10 Coastal Studies
    • Planet and People physical chapters >
      • Plate tectonics >
        • Plate Tectonics 2
        • Plate Tectonics 3
      • Rock Formation and Cycle >
        • Rocks
        • Rock types and their formation
        • Rock Cycle
        • Rock Cycle 2
        • The Rock Cycle 3
        • Rock Landscapes: Limestone
        • Intrusive and Extrusive volcanic landforms
        • Human interaction with the rock cycle
        • Tara Mines case study
      • Folding and Faulting
      • Weathering and Erosion
      • River processes and features
      • Glaciation
      • Coastal Studies >
        • Coastal Studies Ms. Carr
  • Regional Geography
    • Horizons Regional Chapters >
      • Chapter 22 Concept of a region
      • Chapter 23 The Western Region
      • Chapter 24 The Greater Dublin Area
      • Chapter 25 The Paris Basin
      • Mezzogiorno: Peripheral European region
      • Subcontinental India
    • Planet and People Regional Chapters >
      • Regional Geography Outline
      • Definition of Regions
      • Ireland: The Greater Dublin Region - Core
      • West of Ireland - Ms. Carr
      • The West of Ireland : Peripheral Region
      • Core region: Paris Basin
      • European Regions (Core Periphery) >
        • Paris Basin: Ms. Carr
        • Mezzogiorno - peripheral region
        • Mezzogiorno: European Peripheral Region
      • Subcontinental Region: India >
        • Introduction
        • India: Powerpoint
        • India: Secondary Activities
        • India: Tertiary Activities
        • India: Ms. Carr
      • EU enlargement
  • Elective: Human Environment
    • Folens: Human Elective >
      • Chapter One: Populations
      • Chapter 2 Human development and overpopulation
      • Chapter 3 The dynamics of settlement
      • Chapter 4 Migration
      • Chapter 5 Urban problems
      • Chapter 6 Urban settlement and planning issues
    • Planet and People: Human Elective >
      • Chapter 1: Population Studies >
        • Population test
      • Chapter 2 Overpopulation in Sudan >
        • Overpopulation question
        • Overpopulation and Resources
      • Chapter 3: Migration >
        • Migration Test
        • Student presentations
        • Student Presentations 2
      • Chapter 4 Settlement >
        • Settlement Patterns
        • Student work
        • Student work 2
      • Urban Sprawl-Introduction
      • Chaper 5 Three urban land use models >
        • Chapter 5: Land use change
      • Chapter 6 Urban problems in developed world cities
      • Chapter 7 Heritage Issues & Environmental Issues
      • Chapter 8 Urban planning strategies in Ireland >
        • Chapter 9 Developing world cities / counter-urbanisation
  • Culture and Identity (Hons)
    • Physical indicators of population
    • Cultural indicators of population
    • Nationality and Nation states
    • Case study: Switzerland
  • Geoecology (Hons)
    • Soils
    • Aridisoils
    • Brown earth soils
    • Latosols - Tropical rainforest soil
    • Soil Formation
    • Soil erosion - human activities
    • Soil erosion - preventative methods
    • Biome: Tropical rainforest
  • Field Investigation
    • 2013 field study
  • Exam and Papers
    • Leaving Cert Exam
    • Honours Paper
    • Ordinary Paper
    • What do I study?
  • Revision Centre
    • Physical Revision >
      • Physical Powerpoints
      • Plate tectonic questions
      • Volcano & Earthquake questions
      • Rock revision
      • River Revision
      • Glaciation Revision
    • Regional Revision >
      • Regional Powerpoints
      • EU expansion revision
      • European Regional Revision
    • Elective Revision >
      • Human Elective Powerpoints
      • Economic short questions (H&O)
    • Geoecology Option >
      • Geoecology Powerpoints
      • Geoecology questions
    • Sample Answers >
      • Sample Answers Outline
      • Physical: Sample Answers >
        • Waterfall: River Landform
        • Delta: River Landform
        • Cirques: Glacial landform
        • Drumlin: Glacial landform
        • Cave,Arch,Stack,Stump: Coastal landform
        • Beaches: Coastal landform
        • Isostatic and Eustatic Processes
        • Human control of natural processes
        • Impact of Flood Control
        • Impact of Coastal Management
        • Landform in a Karst landscape
        • Weathering and Erosion
      • Regional: Sample Answers >
        • Regions are areas defined by one or more criteria (two discussed)
        • Agriculture in Irish region influenced by factors
        • Development of agriculture in Mezzo influenced by factors
        • Development of agriculture in Paris Basin influenced by factors
        • Development of secondary activities in a Core Region
        • Industry in The Greater Dublin Area
        • The Gaeltacht
        • Climatic Region: The Cool Temperate Oceanic Climate
        • Tertiary activities in the Paris Basin
        • Two EU policies and their impact
        • EU expansion and the impact on a member state
        • The defining role of Culture (India)
        • Urban Growth : Kolkata, India
        • Growth of an urban area Paris
        • Culture defining a region - India -outline
      • Elective: Sample Answers >
        • Migration
        • Overpopulation
        • Three Urban Models
        • Geoecology: Sample Essays >
          • Soil Formation
          • Characteristics of soil
          • How human activities can accelerate soil erosion
          • Natural processes and soil
          • Tropical rainforest biome
          • Human interaction with a biome
        • Urban problems and solutions
        • Map work: Location of a Town
      • Swapped powerpoints
  • General Information
    • Geography at Leaving Cert level
Explain how any two of the following influence the development of agriculture in an Irish region that you have studied.

  • Relief & Soils

  • Climate

  • EU Policies

  • Markets


The Irish region that I will discuss in this answer is the Dublin Region. This is a core region, that is densely populated and has well-developed urban-based economies. In this answer I will focus on how Relief & Soils and Climate influence agriculture in the Dublin region.

The Dublin region consists of mainly lowland, with the Dublin mountains to the south. These lowland areas make the region ideal for a variety of intensive commercial and highly mechanised agriculture. Although the Dublin region only has 1% of the farms in Ireland, these are important to the economy and farm incomes in the region are 40% higher than the national average.The area has good drainage, due to the permeable limestone bedrock and is also drained by many rivers. These free draining soils are ideal for market gardening and horticulture, which are some of the most productive types of agriculture in the region. These free draining light and sandy soils are found in profitable market-gardening areas such as Rush and Lusk in North Dublin. In these areas salad crops are grown in greenhouses, while potatoes, cabbage and onions are grown in large fields.

Brown earths are the main soil type found in the Dublin region. These are deep fertile soils that are easily cultivated and therefore very suitable for productive agriculture. The soils produce high yields of tillage crops such as wheat and barley. The demand for these crops is high, barley is used in the brewing and animal feed industries and wheat is a vital raw material for bakeries serving the large urban population. The region is also covered in fertile alluvial soil deposited by the rivers flowing through the region.

The climate of the Dublin region is cool temperate oceanic. Generally temperatures are mild and the region tends to receive less rainfall than other parts of the country. This has a very positive impact on the development of agriculture in the region. The climatic conditions support the growth of high yield tillage crops and market gardening. Long hours of sunshine and low rainfall levels reduce the risk of potato blight, these ideal growing conditions, fertile soils and the proximity to a large urban market are the reason why 15% of the national potato crop is grown in the Dublin region.

In the Dublin region due to the climatic conditions mentioned above the growing season is 270 days. This means that crops, for example strawberries, ripen earlier and can be produced later into the season, which leads to a plentiful supply for the local market and a boost to the Irish economy, lessening the demand for imported crops. Due to the coastal location of the region, frost also has less impact therefore prolonging the growing season and increasing crop yields. This also means that certain vegetable and salad crops can grow without the use of greenhouses, this lowers production costs, therefore making this type of agriculture very profitable.

The physical factors discussed in this answer greatly contribute to the successful and profitable nature of agriculture in the Dublin region. Although primary economic activities only account for a small number of jobs in the region, incomes are high. There are also many human factors that support the development of agriculture in the region, such as good transport links and a large urban market.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.