The 1945 Ireland UFO Encounter: Humanoid Entities and the Mysterious Waving Gesture
In the winter of 1945, a remarkable encounter occurred off the west coast of Ireland that would remain unreported for three decades. A man who had traveled to visit his dying uncle found himself witness to an extraordinary event while waiting for his boat home during a heavy snowfall. Standing on the shore, he observed a bright flash of light above the sea, followed by the appearance of a square-shaped craft with a metallic dome that hovered above the water before moving to a nearby field.
The incident escalated when two humanoid figures emerged from the craft, exhibiting unusual abilities including walking across water and emitting a ray of light that harmed cattle. More disturbingly, the beings captured a farm dog using what appeared to be a hypnotic device. Before departing, one of the creatures spotted the hiding witness and made a gesture that seemed to be a wave, pointing toward space. This case, later documented in UFO publications in 1976, became known as the "Ireland Waving Entity Case," with researchers noting both compelling details and potential inconsistencies in the account.
Key Takeaways
A witness in 1945 Ireland observed a square craft with a dome and encountered beings who collected a dog and damaged cattle with a light beam.
The account remained unreported for thirty years before appearing in UFO publications in 1976, where it was documented by researchers Mark Maloney and Jenny Randles.
The farmer who sheltered the witness claimed similar unusual occurrences had happened on his property multiple times, including mysterious cattle deaths and strange lights.
Historical Background
Mark Maloney's Unusual Report
In early 1976, Dublin-based researcher Mark Maloney, who worked with the British UFO Research Association, received an extraordinary anonymous letter. The letter detailed a frightening encounter with a UFO and its occupants that allegedly occurred in 1945 on an island off Ireland's west coast. Without the witness's full identity, Maloney couldn't verify the claims but published the account hoping others might provide corroborating information. The letter first appeared partially in the July 1976 issue of Irish UFO News magazine, with the complete version released in a supplemental edition. The case gained additional exposure when UFO researcher Jenny Randles featured it in the December 1976 edition of Northern UFO News.
Irish UFO News Publication
The now-defunct Irish UFO News magazine played a crucial role in documenting what became known as the "Ireland Waving Entity Case." The publication provided one of the first platforms for this remarkable account to reach public attention. According to the witness's letter published in the magazine, the incident occurred during winter 1945 when he visited an island to see a dying uncle. After finding his uncle had already passed away, he began his journey back through snowy fields toward the beach to catch a boat home.
The witness described seeing a bright flash over the sea, followed by a square object with a silver dome that hovered above the water before moving to nearby fields. He observed strange beings in gray-black suits emerge from the craft, one of which walked over water to place an object in the sea. The entities reportedly killed cattle with a red beam, captured a dog using some form of hypnosis, and communicated with other craft. Before departing, one creature turned toward the hiding witness, raised its hands toward the sky, and waved.
British UFO Research Association (BUFORA)
BUFORA's involvement came through Mark Maloney's affiliation with the organization. This connection gave the report additional credibility within UFO research circles despite its unusual elements. Jenny Randles, in her Northern UFO News analysis, identified two problematic aspects of the report:
The witness claimed to travel during a blizzard to catch a boat, which Randles found implausible
The report mentioned transistor radios malfunctioning in 1945, though such technology wasn't commercially available until approximately 1947
Despite these inconsistencies, the report remains a significant case in Irish UFO lore. The witness maintained he didn't report the incident for thirty years following advice from a local farmer who claimed similar phenomena occurred regularly in the area, including:
Mysterious cattle deaths
Burned or marked sections of field
Strange lights landing in fields
Hundreds of dead fish washing ashore in discolored water
Radio equipment malfunctions
The farmer's matter-of-fact attitude toward these occurrences suggests either rural folklore or potentially repeated unexplained phenomena in this remote coastal region.
The Irish Shore Entity Incident
Winter Encounter of 1945
In the winter of 1945, an elderly man traveled to one of Ireland's western islands to visit a dying relative. Unfortunately, he arrived too late—his uncle had already passed away. Despite heavy snowfall, the visitor decided to make his way back to the mainland rather than remain on the island.
The man trekked through empty fields toward the shore where he would catch his boat home. Standing on rocks near the beach, bracing against the harsh winter elements, he noticed something unusual developing in the sky above.
Unidentified Aircraft and Description
A bright flash of light, reminiscent of a camera flash, suddenly appeared in the dark clouds over the sea. Following this flash, an object descended rapidly toward the water. The craft was described as being roughly the size of a standard airplane but had a distinctive square base with a silvery metallic dome on top.
Purple lights encircled the dome of the craft. Instead of crashing into the water, the object stopped abruptly and hovered above the surface. The witness reported hearing a constant, drilling-like noise emanating from the craft. After hovering momentarily, the object rose and moved toward snow-covered fields adjacent to the beach.
The witness, who noted his familiarity with aircraft from his wartime service experience, described it as "the largest flying object" he had ever encountered. When the craft landed in the field, he believed it had crushed at least two cattle beneath it.
Witness Observations and Reactions
Frightened by what he was seeing, the man concealed himself in nearby bushes while maintaining visual contact with the craft. From his hiding place, he observed the dome sliding upward, revealing two figures with disproportionate bodies and "squarish legs" wearing gray-black rubber suits.
The entities' activities included:
One figure walked across the water to place a large object in the sea
When a dog approached barking, one entity used a red ray that "burned through" a cow
The entities captured the dog using a box with lights and an antenna that seemed to hypnotize the animal
A device resembling what the witness would later recognize as a scanner was pointed skyward
5-6 additional craft appeared at high altitude before heading toward space
Before departing, the last entity to enter the craft appeared to notice the witness. It stared directly at him, raised both hands skyward, and waved. Terrified, the witness fled to a nearby farmhouse.
The farmer who provided shelter informed him that strange phenomena regularly occurred around his property, including:
Mysterious cattle deaths
Burned or marked sections of field
Strange lights landing in his fields
Hundreds of dead fish washing ashore in discolored water
Malfunctioning radios
Following the farmer's advice, the witness did not report this encounter for approximately thirty years, finally sharing his experience with UFO researcher Mark Maloney in early 1976.
Eyewitness Statement
Strange Activity Sightings
In winter 1945, I traveled by boat to an island off Ireland's west coast to visit my dying uncle. Unfortunately, he had already passed away by the time I arrived, forcing me to begin my journey back home immediately. Despite heavy snowfall, I made my way through empty fields toward the shore where a boat would eventually take me back to the mainland.
While standing on rocks near the shore, bracing against the wind and snow, I noticed something unusual in the sky. A bright flash of light appeared above the dark clouds over the sea, resembling a camera flash. Suddenly, a square-shaped object with a silvery metallic dome on top—approximately the size of a standard airplane—descended rapidly toward the water.
The object was surrounded by purple lights around its dome. Rather than crashing into the sea, it stopped abruptly and hovered above the water's surface for a brief period.
Environmental Engagement
I heard a constant drilling-like noise emanating from the craft as it rose from the water and moved toward the snow-covered fields adjacent to the beach. "It took off from just above the water and descended slowly in the fields behind me, as if experiencing mechanical difficulties," I noted. The object appeared to land directly on some cattle in the field, seemingly crushing them beneath it.
Strangely, the remaining animals did not scatter, and the craft made no attempt to avoid them. Having served in the air service during the war, I recognized this as the largest flying object I had ever encountered.
One particularly alarming observation was how the craft affected nearby water. One entity walked directly across the water's surface and placed a large object into it before returning to the craft.
Beings and Behavior
The dome of the craft slid upward, revealing two figures with disproportionate bodies and square-shaped legs, wearing gray-black rubber suits. These beings emerged while others remained visible inside the vessel.
The entities exhibited several disturbing behaviors:
Walked on water to place objects in the sea
Responded aggressively to perceived threats
Used advanced technology to control animals
Communicated with each other through unknown means
The last creature to enter the craft turned directly toward my hiding place in the bushes. It raised both hands toward the sky in a waving gesture before entering the craft. This acknowledgment of my presence terrified me completely.
Unusual Object and Animal Interactions
The property owner's dog appeared on the scene, barking loudly at the intruders. One of the entities, seemingly startled by the noise, fired a red ray of light at a cow approximately 50 feet away, burning through it entirely. The being had apparently mistaken the cow for the source of the noise.
When the dog continued barking, one of the figures produced a box adorned with lights and an antenna. The entity pointed this device at the dog, which immediately stopped barking and slowly walked toward the box in a trance-like state. The creature closed the door once the dog was inside, effectively capturing it before placing the box into their craft.
Additionally, the beings produced a large object aimed at the sky—something I couldn't identify in 1945 but which resembled a scanner I would see about ten years later. A beam of light swept the area like a searchlight while one creature's head rotated completely around on its still body, following the ray of light.
Concealment and Apprehensions
I hid in nearby bushes, terrified that the beings would discover and capture me as they had done with the dog. As they prepared to depart, a strong gas-smelling smoke covered the entire area surrounding the craft.
The beings levitated themselves into the craft "as if they were magicians." When the final creature spotted me in the bushes and waved, I fled in terror, running faster than I ever had before to reach the nearest farmhouse.
The farmer who sheltered me advised against reporting the incident, warning it would "ruin my life." He mentioned that similar phenomena had occurred around his property over the years, including:
Mysterious cattle deaths
Burned or marked sections of fields
Strange lights landing in his fields
Hundreds of dead fish washing ashore in discolored water
Malfunctioning radios
Following the farmer's advice, I kept this encounter secret for approximately thirty years before finally sharing my experience.
Consequences and Understanding
Farmer's Perspective
The elderly farmer who provided shelter after the incident offered valuable context about local phenomena. He mentioned that unusual occurrences happened periodically around his property over the years. These included unexplained cattle deaths, peculiar burn marks in fields, and strange lights that occasionally landed nearby. The farmer seemed neither surprised nor overly concerned, treating these events as uncommon but somewhat regular occurrences in the area.
Choice to Remain Silent
Following the encounter, the witness made a deliberate decision to keep his experience private for approximately three decades. This choice was heavily influenced by the farmer's advice that reporting such an incident would "ruin his life." The farmer's warning carried significant weight, particularly coming from someone who had witnessed similar phenomena over time. The witness ultimately honored this suggestion, keeping his extraordinary experience to himself until the mid-1970s when he finally shared his account with researchers.
Unexplained Local Events
The area had experienced several unexplained phenomena beyond the primary incident. Hundreds of dead fish had washed ashore in oddly discolored water over the years. The farmer reported that multiple radios had mysteriously stopped functioning, which he believed was connected to the presence of unidentified craft near his property. These seemingly related incidents suggested a pattern of unusual activity in the region rather than an isolated event. The consistency of these occurrences across time indicated something persistent rather than random affecting this coastal Irish location.
Literature and UFO Documentation
Jenny Randles' Critical Examination
Jenny Randles, a well-known UFO researcher, addressed the Ireland waving entity case in the December 1976 edition of her Northern UFO News magazine. Her analysis highlighted two key concerns about the account's credibility.
First, she questioned why someone would attempt to travel through a severe blizzard rather than waiting for safer conditions. The witness had described trekking through heavy snowfall after visiting his deceased uncle, heading to catch a boat at the shore.
Second, Randles noted a technological inconsistency. The witness mentioned the farmer experiencing malfunctions with "transistor radios" supposedly due to the UFO presence, but transistor radios weren't commercially available until 1947—approximately two years after the reported 1945 incident. This discrepancy suggested either an error in dating the encounter or a misidentification of the radio type.
UFO Publication Coverage
The Ireland waving entity case first appeared in print through Dublin-based researcher Mark Maloney, who worked with the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA). In early 1976, Maloney received a detailed letter from an anonymous witness describing a frightening 1945 encounter with a UFO and its occupants on an island off Ireland's west coast.
The Irish UFO News magazine published part of this account in their July 1976 issue, with the complete letter appearing in a later supplemental edition. The witness's anonymity prevented Maloney from conducting follow-up investigations, limiting his ability to verify details or gather additional evidence.
The published report described a square-shaped craft with a metallic dome that hovered over water before landing in a snowy field. The witness claimed to have observed humanoid figures in gray-black suits emerging from the craft, one of which walked across water and signaled toward space. The report included disturbing details about the entities using technology to capture a dog and harm cattle with a red light beam.
Discrepancies and Inconsistencies
Weather Condition Questions
The 1945 Irish coastal UFO incident raises several concerns regarding the witness's account. The elderly man claimed to be attempting to return home via boat during heavy snowfall after visiting his deceased uncle. This decision to travel during harsh winter conditions deserves scrutiny. Most people would typically seek shelter and wait for weather improvement rather than risk exposure in a blizzard. However, personal circumstances vary considerably. Some individuals do attempt travel during severe weather due to emotional distress, family obligations, or simply a strong desire to return to familiar surroundings. The choice, while questionable, isn't entirely implausible.
The witness described standing on rocks near the shore in wind and snow when he first spotted the unusual aerial phenomenon. These weather conditions would significantly impact visibility, yet he provided detailed observations of the craft's appearance, including its square base, metallic dome, and purple lights. Such precise visual details during a snowstorm warrant careful consideration.
Radio Technology Inconsistency
A notable technological anachronism appears in the farmer's account of previous UFO encounters. The farmer reportedly mentioned that "at least two of his transistor radios had died" following craft appearances on his property. This detail presents a significant historical problem.
Transistor radios weren't commercially available until 1947, when Bell Laboratories developed the technology. Consumer transistor models didn't reach widespread distribution until the late 1940s and early 1950s. The incident allegedly occurred in 1945, making the farmer's possession of such devices historically impossible.
This discrepancy could indicate several possibilities:
The witness misremembered the year of his encounter
The farmer may have referred to standard vacuum tube radios common in the 1940s
The detail was added or altered when the story was finally reported in 1976
The witness confused later technology with what existed during the original encounter
The radio reference represents one of the most concrete factual inconsistencies in an otherwise subjective eyewitness narrative. Such technological impossibilities require careful examination when evaluating the overall credibility of extraordinary claims.
