Commander Chris Hadfield gave us some truly incredible Irish pictures from space during his time orbiting around the globe and his book for the Irish Hospice Foundation combines some of the best.
Hadfield returned from space last June but became a big hit on these shores with his imagery and even tweeting as Gaeilge. Inspired by the support he received from the Irish public during his expedition, he decided to put together his memories in a book called “The Gathering – Reflections on Ireland”.
The renowned astronaut has said he has been blown away by the Irish response and will be back on Irish shores next January when he will be a keynote speaker at a special conference taking place at the Convention Centre, outlining how he has achieved mastery and a healthy work-life balance.
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.
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