Niamh Shaw’s dream is out of this world
DR NIAMH SHAW has hitched her wagon to the stars. She’s determined to go to space. As an actress — who starred in Fair City, among other shows — and scientist, who worked in UCC for a spell, she has an unusual mix of credentials for her mission.
The dream has been festering since she was a child. She watched the movie Star Wars in Carlow in 1977 when she was aged eight. The seats, carpet and walls of the cinema were all burgundy; it reeked of stale smoke and popcorn. Intoxicated by the film (and Princess Leia’s hair) she remembers turning to her brother and telling him: “Hey, John, I want to be an astronaut!”
