What residents saw over Dublin last night
A striking reddish-pink glow illuminated the skies above Dublin yesterday, prompting many to wonder whether the Northern Lights had arrived in the capital. Social media posts and reports from residents near Dublin Airport described a vivid light that lingered for hours, brightening the underside of clouds and turning the night sky a curious pinkish hue.
As speculation spread, emergency and weather watchers were flooded with questions about whether this was a rare celestial display. However, the consensus from local meteorologists and industry sources pointed away from an astronomical phenomenon and toward a more terrestrial source.
Experts weigh in: what caused the glow?
Alan Reilly, a weather forecaster with Carlow Weather, explained that while Ireland has occasionally hosted real aurora activity, the observed glow did not match the Northern Lights. “The Northern Lights do appear over Dublin sometimes, we’ve had a few good displays over the last two years when you would see them,” he said. “The thing is, they wouldn’t look like that, and they wouldn’t be underneath the clouds.”
Reilly noted that many of the calls and messages he received referenced the same scene: a bright pink glow under cloud cover, traced to a local agricultural operation rather than a celestial event. On cloudy nights, he added, it’s not uncommon for people to misinterpret visible lighting from ground-based facilities as shimmering auroras.
The prevailing explanation, supported by observers near Kilbrook and the airport area, points to a very concrete source: greenhouse lighting used to grow strawberries at a nearby farm owned by Keelings.
Keelings and the Aurora Berryalis: a greenhouse staple
Keelings operates a significant glasshouse facility just north of Dublin Airport, near Kilbrook. In 2009, the company built a 50,000-square-metre glasshouse on its north Dublin site, enabling the production of more than 100 million Irish strawberries each year. While strawberries remain the farm’s main crop, Keelings also cultivates blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, with an impressive aggregate harvest approaching 200 million berries annually.
The unique pink glow captured by observers is attributed to specific lighting used to boost strawberry growth inside the glasshouse. Such lighting is designed to optimize photosynthesis and fruit production, particularly in the long nights of winter. When the light leaks or spills into the sky, it can create a visible pink or reddish hue at altitude, especially when viewed from a distance and through cloud layers.
Why this isn’t a celestial event
Several factors distinguish this glow from true auroral displays. True auroras are high-altitude atmospheric phenomena resulting from charged particles interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field, often visible in the night sky in darker, clear conditions. In this instance, the glow was reported under cloud cover and aligned with the location of a known greenhouse facility, making a terrestrial origin most plausible.
What residents should know
While it can be exciting to witness unfamiliar night-time lights, this event is a reminder of how human activity—industrial lighting and greenhouse operations—can briefly shape our perception of the sky. For those who enjoyed the phenomenon, the glow offered a striking reminder of Ireland’s blend of modern agriculture and atmospheric science.
Keelings has been contacted for comment, but as of now, the explanation remains straightforward: a common agricultural lighting setup causing a temporary, skyward glow visible from nearby urban areas.
As with any unusual sky sighting, weather experts advise checking multiple sources and verifying with local facilities when possible. If you captured a similar glow, sharing it with local meteorological groups can help clarify the cause and prevent misinterpretations of celestial events.
