'Meteor strike' on Dublin beach was deep hole dug with plastic spade

An Irish news channel has corrected a slightly embarrassing mistake after reporting a "suspected meteor strike" on a beach in Dublin.

Announcing that a rock might have smashed into the beach in Portmarnock, Virgin Media News sent a journalist to the scene of the "crater" to find out more.

At the scene the reporter was joined by Dave Kennedy, a local space enthusiast, who discovered the "impact site" while out walking his dog.

When he discovered the hole, Mr Kennedy said he felt "complete shock".

"I knew immediately that it was an impact site, " he said, while holding a rock that he believed could be the meteorite itself.

Asked what it was about the rock that made him think it had come from space, Mr Kennedy said: "The actual weight of it and its density - you're definitely going to have to get it checked out."

Dave Kennedy found a rock he thought was a meteorite at the bottom of the 'crater'

But unfortunately for Mr Kennedy and Virgin Media News, the meteorite mystery was far less exciting.

Footage posted to social media revealed the crater was just a big hole that had been dug with a plastic spade.

Footage of two men digging the hole was posted on Instagram

A Virgin Media News report the following day said: "The mystery of the hole found on the north Dublin beach has apparently been solved.

"Denting the hopes of a local space enthusiast that had hoped it was the site of a meteor strike - footage emerged last night of two men digging the hole on Portmarnock Beach."

After the crater was revealed to be nothing more than a big hole, Mr Kennedy said he was "disappointed" but still planned to get the rock analysed, just in case.

Have you ever mistaken something for something else? Let us know in the comments.

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