The Plan for an Irish Spaceship

Secret documents suppressed for 30 years have revealed that America planned to launch their space project from the Blasket Islands...

I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Back in 1999, I wrote Ancient Irish Astronauts, a pisstake 'potted history' of phallic Irish architecture, the two Michael Collins, and 19th century space travel.

Now, it seems, that there were a few whacky ideas floating around concering the establishment of a space base in Ireland. Now, after 30 years, documents have emerged on this issue... you can't make this stuff up. And it's all sort of vague:

American scientist Dr Gary Hudson, who claimed to have worked for Nasa, submitted his plans for the space flight project on behalf of an alleged team including British astronomer Sir Frederick Hoyle.

He had chosen Ireland because it was a neutral country and was not affiliated to any other space programme. In a 16-page letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs, vice consul Sean Farrell described the plans to build a space station on Inishnabra, the middle island in the Blaskets.

He detailed Dr Hudson's claims that Inishnabra had a number of advantages including isolation but with a source of raw fuel at hand. A launch from the Blaskets would not risk civilian lives, he said. Dr Hudson said he had been taken to the island by the tourist board in Kerry, which had been enthusiastic about the project.

The Tourist Board? Were they considering shipping in Martians?

But here's the clincher:

But any Irish hopes of making history were dashed when a Government [Irish] reply was sent back condemning the scheme as "science fiction." It was suggested that the whole thing was a "gigantic leg-pull".

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lol. a "gigantic leg-pull" - one for the Clerkin Files methinks!