The UFO Phenomenon

2021 saw spike in Northern Ireland UFO reports

By T.K. Randall
December 26, 2021

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) Northern Ireland might not be what you would call a 'hotbed' of UFO activity, but that hasn't stopped it from being home to more than its usual share of UFO sightings over this calendar year.

According to reports, the police received word of a total of eight UFO sightings, which is four times as many as was submitted in 2020 and four more than the total from 2019.

These sightings included that of a "spaceship" with flashing lights in the Downpatrick area on January 17th, as well as two sightings in May - one of a white light following a helicopter in Maghaberry and another of a disc-shaped object spotted in the skies above the Slemish area of County Antrim.

In July, a home CCTV camera caught something unusual in the sky over Maghaberry, while sightings were reported of a peculiar dome-shaped object with eight lights over Saintfield.Perhaps the most bizarre report of the year was that received in September by someone who claimed to have encountered "aliens" in their own bedroom, while a detained patient claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrials in October.

The year's reports were bookended by "unusual bright lights" spotted in the sky in November.

"It's difficult to say what lies behind the small increase in sightings," said former MoD UFO investigator Nick Pope.

"Covid-19 and lockdowns may have played a role, with people having more time on their hands during the pandemic, and perhaps spotting things that previously may have gone unnoticed."

Source: Evening Standard

Tags: UFO, Northern Ireland