High-flying Cork flags return to Earth

Having flown higher than any Cork flag in history, the blood and bandages that once orbited the globe have returned to Earth.

Last night, at a special presentation, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Paolo Nespoli presented flags representing both the Rebel County and the Cork Institute of Technology to both the mayors for Cork city and county, as well as the CIT President, having brought the banners with him into space.

CIT had hosted the hugely successful International Space University Space Studies Programme last year and, during the programme, Mr Nespoli took the two Cork flags to the International Space Station on board Expedition 52/53.