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30th September 2013
04:39pm BST

One of the many examples of Ireland from space
There were no shortage of pictures during his time in space and the Canadian has spoken of his real affection for the country and the people.
“Space can be a lonely place, but it was made less lonely for me as I connected with so many Irish people during my last mission before retiring as an astronaut,” he writes in the book.
One incident in particular seems to have had quite an impact on Hadfield when he tweeted something in Irish, though he conceded he wasn’t 100 per cent sure what language he put in the tweet.
“When I was in orbit on my last space flight I tweeted a picture. I wasn’t sure if it was an Irish, Welsh or English port city, but I was quickly advised by those who saw it that it was Dublin. This sparked an instant and strong connection between me and the people of Ireland, divided as we were by over 200 miles.
“I found this amazing, like meeting a friend for the first time. It was a friendship that flourished and developed – a connection from space that just grew and grew.”
Hadfield also added that he believes that Irish people “have a true understanding of who they are in the world”. We’re not entirely sure ourselves about that, but we’ll take all the compliments we can get from a man of his standing.