£10,000 reward for meteor find

It is estimated that up to 70,000 people across Ireland witnessed the spectacle which happened around tea time last Wednesday evening. A ‘ball of fire’, thought to be a meteor, was also spotted over the Glenshane Pass.

It is believed the fiery phenomenon was a space rock travelling at around 100,000 miles per hour. Since so many witnesses reported that the meteor was travelling inland it is thought that it landed on the ground and not at sea.

Astromomy Ireland said that county Donegal is the most likely landing point. David Moore of the organisation said people in the county should be going on long walks and keeping their eyes peeled.

The only full-time meteorite hunter in the UK, Robert Elliot, said that if the meteorites have landed in Northern Ireland or the Republic and are rare enough, they could fetch up to 10,000 per kilo.

In Northern Ireland people reported seeing the bright ball of light in Armagh, Craigavon and Omagh.

The Northern Ireland Coastguard also took calls from people who believed the fireball had ditched in Lough Neagh.

One motorist who was driving along the Glenshane Pass spotted the phenomenon in the sky.

“It was very bright green, with an orange tail coming from it. It was travelling at fantastic speed, very high up in the sky and it was heading north.

“It then went behind these black clouds over the Sperrins, towards Dungiven, then there was this large orange flash, so I’m not sure if it landed somewhere around there,” she said.

The Irish Astronomical Association say that there have only been around six recorded meteorite falls in the whole of Ireland.

With regard to the latest sighting, Valentia Coastguard in County Cork said they took calls about the sighting in Counties Westmeath, Limerick and Cork. Discoveries of any potential meteorite discoveries should be reported to Robert Elliot on [email protected].