Gardaí are investigating a report of a “large black drone” spotted near Dublin Bay.
The object was reportedly seen by the crew of a civilian aircraft as it approached the Dublin coastline on Tuesday evening.
The pilot reported seeing what was described as a “large” drone at around 6,000ft over the Irish Sea.
The crew contacted air traffic control after spotting the object off the left side of the aircraft.
The sighting was logged by air traffic control and passed on to the relevant authorities for further assessment.
Gardaí confirmed they are aware of the report.
A spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána continue to investigate the reports in conjunction with the relevant authorities.”
AirNav Ireland also confirmed that an aircraft arriving into Dublin had reported a possible drone sighting.
A spokesperson said: “In line with our normal safety procedures, a safety report was filed and the sighting was reported to An Garda Síochána.”
They added that the matter is now with the relevant authorities and that they had no further comment.
The Department of Defence is also expected to issue a statement.
The sighting comes just days before US President Donald Trump is due to visit Ireland this weekend.
A major security operation is already being put in place for the visit, with a no-fly zone for unauthorised aircraft due to be enforced around Dublin Airport and Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg from midday on Saturday until late on Sunday.
The latest report also comes after a drone was spotted off Dublin Bay during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Ireland last year.
There is currently no confirmation of what the object spotted on Tuesday was.
