Irish women have a special place in the history of astronomy. Many have also placed emphasis on educating the next generation. By the time Dr. Norah Patten was born and raised in Ballina, County Mayo, for instance, the Irish diaspora extended to almost every corner of the globe. When Patten was eleven, she visited NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and she fell in love with astronomy. Ever since, she has pursued her dream to become an astronaut, earning her PhD in aeronautical engineering from the University of Limerick. As a trailblazing woman in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), Patten has continued to win awards, be selected for committees, give keynote speeches, and gain prominence within her industry. She has also written an award-winning children’s book called Shooting for the Stars, which she hopes will inspire the next generation to pursue careers in STEM. And in the latest chapter of her pursuit of her dream, she is making history by becoming the first Irish astronaut.
Patten will fly into space with the Canadian-based International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS). The IIAS is partnering with Virgin Galactic, a company whose mission is to make space flights available to civilians. Patten works as an aeronautical engineer and bioastronautics researcher with IIAS, studying topics such as skin grafting in microgravity, emergency maneuvers in egress, and space suit design. She is set to officially become the first Irish person in space in 2026.
Patten’s story is an inspiration. There has never been an Irish person in space, and only seventy-three women have ever traveled to space. And while Patten is preparing to make a singular achievement for her country, there are a few others who have also paved the way for Irish women among the stars.
One such woman is Mary Brück. Born in 1925 in the small town of Ballivor, County Meath, she grew up using the Irish form of her name, Máire Treasa Ní Chonmhidhe. With a flair for science and math in school, she eventually moved to Dublin to study physics and then earned her PhD in astrophysics from the University of Edinburgh. After obtaining her doctorate, she moved back to Dublin to work at the famed Dunsink Observatory. It was there that she met Hermann Brück, the Dunsink director. Working long nights surrounded by telescopes and other astronomical instruments in the old observatory, Brück and Chonmhidhe fell in love. They married and had three children, and she took the name Mary Brück.
The family moved back to Edinburgh when Hermann Brück was named the royal astronomer of Scotland. And it is here that Mary Brück began to make history with her contributions to astronomy. She started lecturing at the University of Edinburgh and, with her knack for teaching, was promptly promoted to senior lecturer. She also continued her research on interstellar radiation, stars, and two irregular dwarf galaxies known as the Magellanic Clouds. In addition to lecturing and conducting research, she regularly published articles in a variety of journals. She also wrote a biography of another Irish astronomer and writer, Agnes Mary Clerke. In 2001, Mary Brück was awarded a Lorimer Medal from the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh. Today, in honor of her contributions to the field of astronomy, the University of Edinburgh and Dublin City University both have buildings named after her.
Two more Irish women of note in the field of astronomy are Agnes Mary Clerke and Rose O’Halloran. Clerke, the subject of Mary Brück’s biography, was born in 1842 in Skibbereen, County Cork. She spent much of her childhood observing the stars using her father’s telescope and educated herself on the history of astronomy. She had a keen interest in the field and kept up to date with new discoveries. And, like her biographer, Clerke was a gifted writer. Both scientists distinguished themselves by communicating complex issues in ways that appealed to both the scientific community and the public alike. Today, the Royal Astronomical Society bestows the Agnes Mary Clerke Medal for Historical Research in Astronomy or Geophysics to individuals who have excelled in historical research in these fields. Clerke also has a crater on the moon named after her.
No discussion of Irish women astronomers would be complete without mention of Rose O’Halloran. While much of O’Halloran’s upbringing is lost to history, we do know that she was born in Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary in 1843. As a child, she had one astronomy textbook, which she read over and over. Lacking economic opportunity at home, O’Halloran joined the masses of Irish immigrating to California, and she ultimately settled in San Francisco. Like the other women celebrated here, she was an advocate for educating the next generation. She took a job as a private astronomy teacher, mostly for other young women, conducting her classes in the little room she lived in. When the money she made teaching astronomy was short, she wrote astronomy articles for various newspapers and publications.
Described as “the woman with the pet telescope,” O’Halloran especially enjoyed observing the sun.She is, in fact, credited with being the first person to observe sunspots on the sun’s limb. She lived until the age of eighty-seven, having dedicated her life to educating the public about astronomy and helping lead the way for others, especially women, in the field.
In times when the field of astronomy was all but closed to women, these bold Irish women made their mark, forging the path for the next generation. Today, we hear stories of Irish immigrants looking up to the night sky when they miss their homeland. In 2026, when Norah Patten makes her way to space, the Irish will have one more reminder of their home among the stars.
Written by Jackson Tejeda