A man in Ireland thought he had discovered evidence of a “cosmic event” at a local beach, but the story soon turned from cosmic to comedic when the truth was revealed.
Virgin Media News sent a crew to the Dublin beach on Wednesday after “local astrophysics enthusiast” Dave Kennedy came across a strange round pit in the sand.
Kennedy was convinced the hole had been created by a meteor strike.
“When I looked at it and saw how uniform it is, … I knew immediately that what I was looking at was an impact site,” he said.
#WATCH A mysterious hole on a beach has caused a stir in North Dublin.
A local astronomy enthusiast is hoping the crater in Portmarnock, could be the aftermath of a cosmic event. @Hanelizaa reports ⤵️#VMNews pic.twitter.com/cGJiyd3eZj
— Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) September 13, 2023
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Sure enough, a small rock was found at the bottom of the mysterious hole, and Kennedy had his meteor.
Reporter Hannah Murphy told viewers, “The striking hole soon caught the attention of passersby, many hoping that what they’re witnessing is the aftermath of a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event.”
One Canadian tourist thanked Ireland for a “great experience” as he gazed at the hole in amazement.
Murphy ended her report by noting that Kennedy had begun “reaching out to astronomy experts to see if they can help him solve the mystery of the crater on the beach.”
Not long after news broke of the purported meteor strike, the mystery was, indeed, solved.
On Thursday, Virgin Media aired a follow-up report revealing that the “impact site” was actually created by local lads with some plastic shovels.
“Footage emerged last night of two men digging a hole on [the beach],” the anchor said.
🚨 Meteorite mystery solved! 🚨
The mystery of the hole on a north Dublin beach has apparently been solved – denting the hopes of a local space enthusiast, who had hoped it was the site of a meteor strike.#VMNews pic.twitter.com/zhqKbhzvNY
— Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) September 14, 2023
The reporter added that Kennedy was “disappointed” by the revelation, but that he still intended to have the rock analyzed “in the hopes that it wasn’t a completely fruitless discovery.”
“Not the outcome Dave had hoped for but at least it’s given people a laugh all the same,” Murphy joked on X.
