Garda probe into reports of large drone off Wicklow coast

A garda investigation is under way into reports of a large unidentified drone flying off the east coast, just days before the visit of US President Donald Trump to Ireland.

At around 5pm yesterday a pilot flying a commercial aircraft towards Dublin Airport reported seeing a large drone off the coast of Co Wicklow.

Other pilots who were in the air at the time were alerted to the possible presence of the drone over the Irish Sea.

The reported sighting is likely to raise questions about security ahead of Mr Trump's arrival this weekend.

It also reportedly happened during a time of major disruption to flights between the UK and Ireland due to air traffic control issues in Britain and as a meeting of EU agriculture ministers was concluding in Dublin.

The incident comes at a time of heightened security around the capital and the west coast as final preparations are made for a visit by the US president to Dublin and Co Clare this Saturday.

Gardaí said they are investigating the reports of an alleged sighting of an unconfirmed object over the Irish Sea off the east coast in conjunction with other relevant authorities.

In December of last year, drones were spotted off Dublin Bay during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

But at the start of Ireland's EU Presidency in July, gardaí said they had invested significantly in their drone and counter-drone capabilities.

An Garda Síochána said it was confident it is up to European law enforcement standards.