Procurement of offshore counter-drone technology is “being pursued”, the Taoiseach said after a large drone was reported over the Irish Sea days ahead of a visit by US president Donald Trump.

The pilot of an Aer Lingus plane reported the sighting of a large drone close to Dublin Bay at 5.20pm on Tuesday evening.

According to a record of air traffic control transmissions, the Aer Lingus pilot reported the drone was operating at 6,000ft and was about 3km to the aircraft’s left side as it flew into Dublin from Cornwall.

The pilot said the drone was about “10 miles” from LAPMO, a navigation point near Howth in north Co Dublin, which would put it somewhere off the Co Wicklow coast.

Asked by air traffic control if he spotted any identifying marks on the drone, the pilot replied that it was large and black.

The sighting comes amid preparations for a large scale security operation with Trump set to visit Dublin this weekend before travelling on to Doonbeg, Co Clare, where the Irish Open will take place at his resort.

Micheál Martin said on Wednesday “a lot of preparatory work” had been undertaken on counter-drone capabilities ahead of the Trump visit.

He said An Garda Síochána had “resourced the situation very significantly” in terms of on-land capability.

However, he added: “There is more to do offshore, and that work is under way.

“That procurement is under way and that’s a very active programme that is being pursued.

“But certainly, An Garda Síochána in advance of the EU presidency had secured the drone technology capacity that they required.”

Martin urged caution and stressed that the reported sighting was “unverified at the moment”, adding that it was being investigated by the Garda and the Defence Forces.

He said he expected to be briefed on the matter later on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Garda said: “Gardaí in the Dublin Region are aware of an alleged sighting of an unconfirmed object over the Irish Sea, off the east coast, earlier this evening, Tuesday, 8th September 2026.

“An Garda Síochána continue to investigate the reports in conjunction with the relevant authorities.”

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has confirmed there were no authorised civilian drone operations in the area at the time of the reported sighting.

“The Irish Aviation Authority was notified of the reported drone sighting on Tuesday evening,” it said in a statement.

“The IAA is aware that An Garda Síochána has initiated an investigation into the matter.

“The IAA can confirm there was no authorised civil drone operations in the area at that time.”

AirNav Ireland, which provides air traffic management services in Irish airspace, said on Tuesday night that an aircraft “arriving into Dublin this evening reported a possible drone sighting.

“In line with our normal safety procedures, a safety report was filed and the sighting was reported to An Garda Síochána. As this matter is now with the relevant authorities, we have no further comment at this time.”

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Air traffic controllers asked various aircraft in the general area if they had caught sight of the object. None reported that they did, according to recordings reviewed by The Irish Times.

“We’ve no radar return down there and nothing that we’re aware of in the area,” an air traffic controller told one aircraft. “So, just keep your eyes out there, would you mind?”

US helicopters were spotted flying over Ireland earlier this week in preparation for Trump’s visit.

Security and defence analyst Declan Power described the sighting of a drone off the Wicklow coast on Tuesday as a classic example of hybrid warfare.

Power said it would be difficult to prove from which location or by whom the drone had been launched. “It’s hard to detect. In some respects, you could argue that the drone nearly wanted to be seen where and when it was flying,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.

“So it’s a classic example of hybrid warfare, where it’s causing an impact without any particular comeback for whoever launched it.”

The Irish Aviation Authority, Aer Lingus and the Irish Coast Guard have been contacted for comment.