Posted online: Feb 11th, 2010

By Michael McHugh, Editor

Thousands of thunder stuck star-gazers are expected to descend en masse on Donegal in coming days, as they search for the piece of illusive space rock that came hurtling into the Donegal atmosphere last week.
Dreams of millions may be off the mark, but at an estimated €500 a gram, it could help take more than one person off Donegal’s lengthening dole queues as well as creating a most unusual ‘space tourism’ boost for the local economy.
Marketing manager with Tourism Ireland North West, Martina Bromley said that the unexpected windfall would introduce the beauty of Donegal to a niche audience.
And David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland which boasts the largest astronomy club per head of population anywhere in the world said that it was a significantly historic event, as a result of the scarcity of Irish meteorites. Those found in Ireland could nearly all be counted on one hand, he said.
Confirming yesterday that Donegal had been pinpointed as the location of the meteorite, he told the Donegal Post:
“I would expect very large numbers of people to descend upon Donegal over the coming days hoping to get their hands on something that is really special.”
He said that their website – astronomy.ie – would be updating the likely part of the county, as more reports are received in the days ahead and with greater pinpoint accuracy.
“For every two reports that we have received from Donegal people, there are another hundred who observed it, so this is very much something that all of Donegal can involve themselves with. We need people out there searching the highways and byways, if anyone has video, that would be great, even businesses could check their CCTV’s for just before 6pm last Wednesday.”
Even An Post might get in on the act, as the Irish meteorites have been traditionally named after the nearest post office, from where they have been located.
Reacting to the unusual nature of these ‘space tourists’ Martina Bromley was enthused.
“It’s great that Donegal is leading the charge for the location of the meteorite. If this gives an opportunity for those who travel extensively to follow astronomy and especially a rarity such as the fall of a meteorite – then it’s great to have Donegal off the mark and introduced to a niche audience.
“Hopefully the beauty and stunning scenery of Donegal will attract those visitors to come back again and have a wonderful holiday experience when they’re next planning their short break or their summer holidays,” she told the Donegal Post.
A meteorite that fell near Adare, County Limerick in 1813 was Ireland’s largest ever meteorite weighing in at 27 kilos.
Tens of thousands saw the fireball, described like a welder’s torch as it crashed through the atmosphere at 5.58pm last Wednesday evening.
When the last meteorite fell to Ireland in 1999 they said it had landed in south Co Wicklow or north Co Carlow and it was found within 20 miles of that area. The price of that meteorite was significant as it was the last earth landing meteorite of the previous millennium.
The legality of who owns the rock, if it falls on private property may be open to question, but the National Museum of Oreland and the Geology Department of Trinity College, will test the rock or fragments for free.
There is also one other possibility, that the meteor did not make landfall in Donegal itslef, instead dropping off the shoreline.
But then again that’s why we buy lotto tickets every week!