Apollo 11 Moon Rock Gifted to Ireland Destroyed in 1977 Fire

Newly revealed records show the lunar sample spent years in storage before being lost in a blaze at Dublin's Dunsink Observatory.

The Apollo 11 moon rock was gifted to Ireland in 1970 by the U.S. following the historic lunar mission of 1969.
The rock spent over three years in a government basement due to indecision over its display location.
It was eventually placed at Dunsink Observatory in 1973, where it was destroyed in a fire on October 3, 1977.
A second moon rock from the Apollo 17 mission, gifted in 1973, remains preserved and is now held by the National Museum of Ireland.
The loss highlights the challenges of preserving and displaying rare artifacts, with similar moon rock gifts to other nations also facing mishandling or misidentification.