The Irishman whose device for measuring wind became the standard, harboured a deep secret at home, says Robert Hume

Daylight robbery topped the bill in the Dáil yesterday as TDs discussed the prospect of the country coming out of darkness and shedding a little more light on daily life.

Amateur astronomers will have the chance to rub shoulders with the experts at a special event in Dublin today.

It may be a case of sheer, unadulterated “lunar-cy”, but an out of this world find worth as much as €4m could be buried in one of the country’s largest rubbish dumps.