The sighting of a UFO over Ireland by at least two different airline pilots has sparked worldwide interest and is being investigated by the Irish Aviation Authority.
It has also prompted Irish bookmaker Paddy Power to slash its odds on the existence of alien life. Before the sightings, it was offering odds of 50 – 1; that has now been cut to 5 – 1.
It should be remembered that Paddy Power have a fantastic advertising team and are always quick to see an opportunity for publicity. On the other hand, the sightings do come from impeccable sources and remain unexplained.
The first sighting was by a British Airways crew flying over Co Kerry at 6.47am last Friday. The pilot said she saw an unidentified object and bright lights zoom along the side of her plane before “veering rapidly to the north”.
She contacted Air Traffic Control at Shannon Airport to see if there were any military exercises taking place but was told there were none. According to the air traffic recording of the conversation she said: “It came up on our left-hand side and then rapidly veered to the north. It was a very bright light that disappeared at very high speed.”
Shortly afterwards, the pilot of a Virgin Atlantic plane flying from the US to the UK saw something similar in the same area. He said it looked like a meteor but was also incredibly bright with multiple flashes of light.
The object was moving at an astronomical speed, about twice the speed of sound.
The Irish Aviation Authority said in a statement: “Following reports from a small number of aircraft on Friday 9 November of unusual air activity the IAA has filed a report.
“This report will be investigated under the normal confidential occurrence investigation process.”
An IAA spokesman told the Irish Times that the object was unlikely to have anything to do with aliens.
However, that hasn’t stopped Paddy Power shortening the odds on the existence of aliens.
A spokesperson said: “We’ve always believed other life forms exist, but after this week’s revelations we’re convinced it’s about to be confirmed. It makes perfect sense for intruders to cross the terrestrial borders of the skies in this neck of the planet while our heads are turned by Brexit, backstops and a housing crisis.
“Minister Eoghan Murphy will do his nut if they decide to call Ireland home.”
As well as 5 – 1 odds on the existence of aliens, Paddy Power are also offering 1/10 odds that the UFO was a shooting star and 16/1 on it being a military aircraft.