Mysterious 'crater' turns out to be hole dug by beachgoers with green plastic shovels

It was reported that a 'crater' on Portmarnock beach had caused a stir. Picture: Instagram/Charlie Wallace

A "mysterious hole" that was thought to have been created by a meteorite on a Dublin beach has been revealed as merely a hole dug out by a group of men over the weekend. 

On Wednesday, it was reported that a "mysterious crater" on Portmarnock beach had caused a stir in North Dublin, with one local astronomy enthusiast saying he hoped that the hole was an aftermath of a cosmic event. 

David Kennedy said he was "certain" that the small, heavy rock that was discovered in the crater was a meteorite that fell from outer space. 

"As you can tell... there's a scorch mark on this side here, so that would have been at the angle it came down at," Mr Kennedy told Virgin Media News on Wednesday. 

"It is weighty. I'm not sure of its composition but we're definitely going to have find out." 

Mr Kennedy said he was optimistic that it was a site of a meteorite crash, although there was no official confirmation. 

The hole was dug by a group of men over the weekend at Portmarnock beach 

Mr Kennedy had then spent the day contacting astronomy experts to see if they could help him solve the mystery. 

However, a video was widely shared on social media which showed that the "mysterious hole" on Portmarnock beach was actually dug up by Charlie Wallace and Peter McEvoy with green plastic shovels. 

Virgin Media has since said the mystery of the hole has "apparently been solved — denting the hopes of a local space enthusiast, who had hoped it was the site of a meteor strike".

Mr Kennedy said he was disappointed that it was not a meteor impact site, but said that he will still be getting the rock analysed "in the hopes that it was not a completely fruitless discovery".

According to one expert, if the hole was actually created by a meteor, there would have been reports about the rock falling from space into Earth all across the media. 

Frances McCarthy from the Blackrock Castle Observatory said she would ask if anyone saw the "incredibly bright meteor the night before." 

"Something that big would have made a fireball. There would have been reports everywhere of that fireball coming down from the atmosphere," she told RTÉ's Drivetime on Thursday.