The excitement was palpable on Portmarnock beach, north of Dublin, when a crater was discovered, captivating Sunday stargazers, passers-by and local journalists. But this supposedly cosmic sensation soon turned into a vast joke.
The incident was, to say the least, unusual. Clumsy? Absolutely. On September 13, residents of Portmarnock discovered a circular hole on their local beach that they thought was too perfect to be terrestrial.
A crowd formed, including astronomy enthusiasts and curious onlookers, quickly joined by a crew from local TV station Virgin Media. The report highlights this unusual phenomenon, because it’s not every day you get to meet a celestial “visitor”.
For them, one thing is certain: this perfect hole was formed by a meteor.
Journalist Hanna Murphy begins her report with a serious tone: “It’s a mysterious crater that seems to come from another world”. Dave Kennedy, a very amateur astronomer, agrees, presenting a piece of rock found nearby. For him, there’s no doubt: it’s a piece of meteorite. Tests are planned, of course, because who wouldn’t want to check out a find like this?
#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
The scene attracts even more people, especially with the cameras in action. Passers-by stop, hoping to witness a unique cosmic event.
Unfortunately, scientific discovery turns into a gigantic farce. After a few hours of buzz, the truth was revealed on social network X (formerly Twitter).
An Irishman posts a striking video, showing that this hole is not a crater, but a hole dug by children the day before. Armed with shovels, buckets and rakes, the youngsters had fun making a perfect hole in the sand!
lads I’m in bits. Virgin Media news is after reporting on a hole on portmarnnock beach that ‘Could be the aftermath of a cosmic event’. Some fellas literally dug it the day before with a kid’s shovel
The way your man was talking about the rock being an asteroid had me in tears https://t.co/dNFNanF8Mn pic.twitter.com/GoTTNkcA5U
— spochadóir (@spochadoir) September 14, 2023
So there’s nothing extraterrestrial about this famous crater, as this widely-shared tweet demonstrates. He literally ridiculed those relaying the news, as did the so-called researcher, who claimed to have found pieces of meteorite around the crater.
A fun fact!
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