Gathering plan truly out of this world

An Irish observatory is set to beam samples of the nation’s Gathering celebrations to a planet beyond our solar system.

The ambitious hi-tech cosmic postcard initiative was announced by the CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork yesterday as it celebrated its fifth birthday.

Founding director Niall Smith said the observatory’s Gathering the Gathering (GtG) project is designed to “record the pulse of Ireland and its people, at home or abroad”.