This article was published in the daily newspaper The Irish Independent, Dublin, Eire, on August 29, 2005.
By Marese McDonagh
Extra terrestrials are out there and it is possible to communicate with them, delegates attending the second annual Irish UFO conference heard.
Scientist and astronomer Eamonn Ansbro, who has a purpose-built observatory at his home in Kingsland, Co Roscommon, told the weekend conference in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim of a number of close encounters of an extraordinary nature that he had investigated or witnessed.
A former meteorologist with the British Ministry of Defence who "got into UFOs by accident", Mr Ansbro told of one incident in February 1998 when he was one of a group of six people in a remote valley in Kerry who witnessed what they believe was a UFO.
Mr Ansbro, who believes communication with extra terrestrial life is possible through mental focus or "remote viewing", said that one of the group asked this object to do a figure of eight in the sky which it did. There were no cameras at the scene.
Betty Meyler, founder of the UFO Society of Ireland, said UFO sightings had become so common that those who believed in a parallel world were less likely than ever before to be ridiculed. "Of course there are people who ask me am I making sandwiches for the little green men but many people are genuinely interested in recent sightings," she said.
Ms Meyler, also from Co Roscommon, said she has photographic evidence of two recent UFO sightings at Lough Key near Boyle, an area regarded as a 'UFO hotspot'. She said she has received literally hundreds of reports from around the country of UFO sightings some dating back 20, 30 or 40 years when people would have been afraid to tell of their experiences.
"At another time I probably would have been burned at the stake or locked up but this is the age of Aquarius and of enlightenment and people are more open to ideas," she said.
UFOs manifest themselves as unexplained lights that move very fast in an erratic fashion often changing direction abruptly, according to the UFO society. While inviting people from around the country to report any sightings to her, Ms Meyler also cautioned that in the past what people believed were UFOs turned out to be the planet Venus or disco laser lights.
Ms Meyler believes that the time is coming when UFOs and extra terrestrial beings will be obvious to all humans. "We are not ready just yet. People are too scared but I believe they are coming in love to help us."
