Ireland's moon rock from NASA's Apollo 11 mission was destroyed in a fire in the 1970s: Report

A piece of the moon that the United States gifted to Ireland in the 1970s from NASA's Apollo 11 mission was lost in a fire that same decade, according to new records from Ireland's National Archives. 

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland J.G. Moore gave the moon rock to then-President Éamon de Valera in 1970, but records showed that debate over where the rock would be displayed led to years of mishandling and it was eventually lost in the fire.

The stone was initially kept in a basement for three years, then donated to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies in 1973, per Newsweek. It was later displayed at Dunsink Observatory before it perished in a fire there in 1977.

“It was decided to give the Moon rock to Dunsink when it became known that a second gift was to be made by the US government, and it was thought that some embarrassment would be caused if the first piece was not already on display," a 1984 memo seen by PA News Agency reads.

Ireland still has the second moon rock that was given to the country in 1973 from Apollo 17, which is held by the National Museum of Ireland. The United States gifted hundreds of moon rocks to various countries in the 1970s as a gesture of goodwill. 

The U.S. has brought back 842 pounds of lunar material to Earth, consisting of rocks, pebbles and soil, which are mostly used for scientific research. China and Russia have also collected some moon rocks over the years through robotic missions.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.