Mystery boom in the night had people startled and staring skyward

Did you hear the boom? That's the question after a "ferocious" night-time mystery roar screamed across the north coast skies of Northern Ireland.

People took to social media to ask if anyone else heard the disturbing din, which had people out of bed and sticking their heads out of doors and windows to see what was going on.

A councillor said he has been contacted by dozens of constituents about the roar, with people reporting the noise across the north coast - from Coleraine to Carrickfergus 50 miles away.

And while the mystery remains, some internet sleuths have pointed towards the possibility of large US military airplanes operating in the area.

A number of callers contacted The Nolan Show to describe the noise.

George in Ahoghill, County Antrim, said his wife heard a "ferocious noise outside that sounded a bit like thunder, but lasted longer - it was a sort of a rare noise".

James in Ballymoney said he heard the noise while he was tending to his cows.

"The cows were going mad because there was this noise up in the sky.

"All of a sudden, their ears were up and they were not happy. The noise was that loud I thought to myself: 'Is this plane going to crash into this cow shed?'

"It sounded like a plane - it must have been just above the cloud level. It wasn't very high but it was loud. It was unusual."

Ernie in Coleraine said he was watching TV about 23:15 GMT when "all of a sudden I heard what I would describe as heavy aircraft… something like a Hercules".

He added that there was "nothing to see" in the sky.

"It was seriously so loud and when I went out to the back door, I looked west heading up towards Portrush and the roar was ridiculous."

Darryl Wilson, a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillor, said people got in touch to tell him of "unusually loud and prolonged aircraft noise in the skies".

"People wanted to understand what they were hearing and why there appeared to be increased activity so late at night," he added.

"Given the wider international context, it's understandable that people are curious about what's happening and why."

Researchers looking at online flight-tracking websites found a potential answer to the noise - possible activity in the area by two US Air Force Stratotanker aircraft.

This huge planes are used to refuel other aircraft in mid-air.

Stuart in Carrickfergus told the Nolan Show the noise was "tremendous" and that his wife looked up flight trackers as they heard it.

"It said there were two Stratotankers above roughly Portpatrick in Scotland going up that coast but on the app it showed they were circling a bit.

"We've never heard them that loud and that long before last night. It was weird to hear them that long."

The Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows, who represents North Antrim, posted on social media saying: "It's yet another reminder of the interconnected world we live in."

The Ministry of Defence told BBC News NI there was no Royal Air Force (RAF) activity that could have caused the noise.