Ireland lost a priceless piece of moon rock from the first moon landing in August 1969.
Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin collected samples of moon rock during their historic Apollo 11 mission and these were distributed by President Richard Nixon to 135 countries and the 50 US states as a goodwill gesture.
Ireland’s piece of moon rock was given to President Éamon de Valera in April 1970 and went on display for a time in Áras an Uachtaráin. However, this was regarded as an unsuitable place for it as it would be seen only by invited guests.
In September 1973, on the advice of the Department of Education, it was given to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies for display at the Dunsink Observatory in Dublin.
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Instead of putting it on display, the institute locked it away in a basement for 3½ years as it pondered what to do with it.
The moon rock was loaned to Aer Lingus so it could be featured in the Aer Lingus Young Scientist Exhibition of 1976.
Afterwards it was returned to the basement in Dunsink. To the horror of all involved it was destroyed in a fire at the observatory on October 3rd, 1977.
Fortunately the US had already gifted Ireland a second piece of moon rock. This one from Apollo 17, the last moon landing, was presented to President Erskine Childers in 1973.
The National Museum of Ireland was reluctant to take it on a permanent basis.
Documentation from the Department of the Taoiseach show the matter was resolved in 1984 with the museum ending its objection to it going on public display. It is still there today.