Star buff at new heights for the eclipse

For more than five decades, Dubliner Liam Smyth, director of operations for the Irish Astronomical Society, has been studying the wonders of the sky. Yesterday was a special day, not only because he was a guest on the Eircell-sponsored flight to view the solar eclipse, but it was also his first time on an aircraft.

The company's guests included captains of industry, politicians and journalists, all of whom looked to Sandymount-born Mr Smyth (69) for the expert view, bewildered that his interest in astronomy had never tempted him to take to the sky. "I never had the need to fly. I have only been abroad three times - to England - and I went by boat," he said.

Mr Smyth was among 70 guests who, led by the company's chief executive, Mr Stephen Brewer, flew from Dublin Airport to a location 100 miles south-west of Cork and 31,000 feet above sea level. Wearing dark shades and frantically clicking their cameras, they viewed the eclipse from the narrow windows of the plane, expressing wonder and awe.

Mr Smyth, who clearly had no sense of awe about his first experience of the wonders of aviation, provided the professional assessment of what was to be seen. "We did not see a total eclipse, but we were within a whisker of it. We did see some remarkable sights. We saw a tremendously large eclipse of the sun and, very noticeably, the shadow of the moon cast on the clouds below us, something which is very rarely seen even in the best conditions. We also saw various colour effects around the horizon. It was a wonderful experience."

Politicians - who have viewed one or two political eclipses in Leinster House over the years - on the flight included the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, the Minister of State for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Tom Kitt, the Labour deputy leader, Mr Brendan Howlin, the Fine Gael spokesman on transport, Mr Brian Hayes, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ms Mary Freehill.

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, viewed the eclipse from his holiday base in Ballyferriter, Co Kerry, but his partner, Ms Celia Larkin, was on the flight accompanied by 13-year-old Paraic Kearney, the son of a friend from Dublin's Navan Road. Paraic became interested in astronomy through using his father's telescope and now regularly attends lectures on the subject. "I saw the moon about 20 per cent into the sun. It was brilliant," he said.

Mr Michael Donegan, a businessman from Malahide, Dublin, was equally impressed. "To me it was like a faraway version of a winter moon, and the gradual move from light to darkness was very spectacular." When it was all over, champagne was served, and somebody remarked that it was an ideal way to spend a working day.