Chris Hadfield to be a tourism ambassador for Ireland. Who would you give the job to?

IvaBigWun

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/transport-and-tourism/astronaut-speaks-of-delight-at-becoming-irish-tourism-envoy-1.1649318

Former International Space Station (ISS) commander Commander Chris Hadfield has agreed to become a tourism ambassador for Ireland.

Cmdr Hadfield, who spoke in Dublin today at the Laya Healthcare Pendulum summit, will promote some of Ireland’s best known attractions including the Guinness Storehouse, Titanic Belfast and the Wild Atlantic Way.

He is giving his services free of charge.

He said the interest that Irish people had shown in his photographs from space and his daughter Kristin’s happiness at living in Ireland persuaded him to promote the country .


“To be able to take pictures of Ireland like nobody else can do and share them with the people from tip to tip, it was a lovely unexpected delight,” he said.

“ I don‘t think you have to be from somewhere to appreciate it and maybe a stranger’s set of eyes will help other people see it even better. I’m just delighted, I don’t exaggerate my role at all. I’m happy to meet as many people as possible over the next few days.”

His decision to act as an ambassador is something of a coup for Tourism Ireland which promotes the whole island as a tourist destination.

He was first approached through Twitter by Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons before Christmas.

The Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar said Cmdr Hadfield will be a “great ambassador for Irish tourism … I’m really delighted he has agreed to help us out.”

The former astronaut became a global sensation when he used social media to tweet pictures of the Earth while commanding the ISS last year. His video version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity has been viewed more than 20 million times on YouTube.

He has taken a particular interest in Ireland and tweeted as gaeilge in February: “Tá Éire fíorálainn! Land of green hills and dark beer. With Dublin glowing in the Irish night.”

He signalled his interest in Irish music last February when duetting with The Chieftains from space and sang Danny Boy on St Patrick’s Day.

When he visited Ireland last month, all bookshops in Dublin sold out of his autobiography An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth.

His daughter Kristin is a PhD psychology student in Trinity College Dublin and Cmdr Hadfield visited Ireland before he became world-famous.

In an interview with The Irish Times while he was in space, Cmdr Hadfield spoke of his previous visit in Ireland in 2011.

“We went hiking in Glendalough, attended the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, drank Guinness from the rooftop panorama after the factory tour, attended Gaelic football and a hurling match (Dublin vs Cork), saw the Book of Kells, looked at a round tower, and had a chipper,” he said.

Tourism Ireland will create three short films of Hadfield’s five-day visit. These films will then be shared by Tourism Ireland on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.

During his time here with his wife Helene, Cmdr Hadfield will also be tweeting about what he sees and experiences.

Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons described Cmdr Hadfield as “an enormously popular, global figure” who had already promoted Ireland through the many photographs he had tweeted from space while passing overhead.

Who would you make a tourism ambassador for Ireland?

Phill Ewinn

IvaBigWun wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/transport-and-tourism/astronaut-speaks-of-delight-at-becoming-irish-tourism-envoy-1.1649318






Who would you make a tourism ambassador for Ireland?

Me.

No, but seriously. Me.

My name is URL

I'd give it to Chris Hadfield myself. What an all round awesome guy

spank_inferno

Actual tourists.

michael999999

I'd give it to Bertie ahern.

Then we could invite all the people that were forced to emigrate because of this crook, to come home and punch him in the head!

IvaBigWun

Thread needs more of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo

deise08

Chris could be talking about painting a wall and I would listen to him.
The way he describes his experiences in space, how animated and excited he gets is infectious.
His passion becomes your trigger for wanting to discover more.
I could listen to him for hours.
If he is only a tenth interested in here, as he is in his work, and talk to people,well then we are very lucky to have him as an ambassador.
What a representative to have
Amazing guy!

IvaBigWun

A 45 minute documentary on the man here. I think Ive found my bedtime viewing for tonight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1_77B0MTPs

My name is URL

He even made Tubridy look half decent when he was on tLL. Though mainly because he didn't give him much chance to interrupt and talk shite

TPD

I couldn't think of anyone better for the position, and I'm frankly quite shocked that whoever had the authority to offer the position actually had the sense to offer it to someone so worthwhile.

Mint Aero

Uncky Gaybo. Elo Uncky Gayboooo.

No but yer man Chris is a grand fella. Had a few pints with him in space last time I was there.

My name is URL

TPD wrote: »

I couldn't think of anyone better for the position, and I'm frankly quite shocked that whoever had the authority to offer the position actually had the sense to offer it to someone so worthwhile.

Well, Hell has frozen over

Meangadh

He's the best person ever to have as ambassador- a brilliant speaker and he seems to genuinely like Ireland. Plus it's a great idea to have a non-Irish person do it.

He's so cool. Turns out there is someone other than Tom Selleck who can get away with a moustache.

castletownman

My name is URL wrote: »

He even made Tubridy look half decent when he was on tLL. Though mainly because he didn't give him much chance to interrupt and talk shite

That was the best Late Late interview I've ever seen. Had the audience and viewers captivated by his descriptions of space, kept Tubridy's interaction to a minimum and even got up and sang Space Oddity at the end.

An all round legend

Tramps Like Us

A great choice, but am I alone in resenting the huge promotion of guinness? I mean it is a private, foreign owned company which makes huge profits and it furthers the drunken stereotype. You couldnt pay for the kind of free PR the govt give it

Anyway fair to play to Chris Hadfield for accepting the role... a decent man

Howard Juneau

It's amazing how a guy with his head continuously in space, a tiny bit of charisma & the ability to strum 3 chords can be touted as our tourism ambassador, we can't get away from this Bono fcker!

My name is URL

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

A great choice, but am I alone in resenting the huge promotion of guinness? I mean it is a private, foreign owned company which makes huge profits and it furthers the drunken stereotype. You couldnt pay for the kind of free PR the govt give it

Anyway fair to play to Chris Hadfield for accepting the role... a decent man

What you say is all very true, but whether right or wrong; thousands upon thousands of people are enticed to visit Ireland because of the Guinness... some come for the fupping Leprechauns!, but who gives a shit once they're having fun, spending money and leaving with a good impression of the place?

That's all that tourism is really about.

Highflyer13

Brilliant that we got a legend like Chris to be a tourism ambassador and free. Other clowns would have commanded some sort of fee for these type of roles. An all round nice fellow with such an inspirational zest for life. Not even some of our biggest begrudgers can begrudge this.

Lyaiera

Fair fecks to the Irish people on Twitter for managing to entertain a man in space.

conorhal

He's a good choice, as was Gabriel Byrne, a fantastic actor, thoughtful, intelectual and deeply concerned about and involved in promoting Irish artists. He may have been a vocal detractor about the gathering, but that IMO stands to his credit, he railed, not against promoting Irish culture but against the crass comercialism of the event and I have to agree, without exception, I never heard a single minister talk about the event as primarily a cultural excercise, first and foremost the gathering was talked about in every ministerial interview as a scam to bilk a bit of cash out of the American cousins.

Teyla Emmagan

I have such a crush on Chris Hadfield. The man in amazing!!

razorblunt

Great coup by Tourism Ireland it has to be said.

Should use Johnny Sexton, he's living in a vast, horrible, smelly city with arrogant locals should leverage him to get some French folk over to Dublin ;-)

Seriously though, that wrestler that's huge in Japan, Fergal Davitt is it? They should link in with him to try and get some interest sparked in Ireland from Japan.

force eleven

Mrs Brown.

I'm serious. The Brits watch the show in their millions. A great sell.

Conall Cernach

I don't think he should be doing it for free though. Discover Ireland or whoever should give him a few bob at least.

keeponhurling

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

A great choice, but am I alone in resenting the huge promotion of guinness? I mean it is a private, foreign owned company which makes huge profits and it furthers the drunken stereotype. You couldnt pay for the kind of free PR the govt give it

Anyway fair to play to Chris Hadfield for accepting the role... a decent man

You have a point, they could just refer to it as Irish Stout or something.

Though, Guinness did build the Storehouse, which is a huge tourist attraction, so maybe they deserve the recognition.

gobnaitolunacy

force eleven wrote: »

Mrs Brown.

I'm serious. The Brits watch the show in their millions. A great sell.

There's a Fr Ted inspired 'TedFest' every year, I don't see a 'Mrs BrownFest' happening.:D

Howard the Duck

I think Martin Sheen would be a good choice

IvaBigWun

Howard the Duck wrote: »

I think Martin Sheen would be a good choice

For Ambassador and President

dreamers75

When i grow up i wanna be like him.

sdanseo

Has he a particular Irish connection? If not, fair play to the guy.

Just adds to the list of good stuff he comes out with either way!

nice_very

tourism ambassador..??? can we make him t-shock? and for president that Canadian mayor who loves the craic (I said craic not crack)

no but yeah he seems a sound man, genuinely impressed by us too, and he is doing it for free!! pity our own lot wouldnt take up his example.

Aidric

sdeire wrote: »

Has he a particular Irish connection? If not, fair play to the guy.

His daughter studying a PHD in Trinity is his only Irish connection as far as I know.

Billy86

I'd have gone with Pat Shortt's character from Fr. Ted, but I guess this guy's not so bad either.

NIMAN

He seems a decent spud to be fair. Will do a great job for Ireland.

shedweller

Aidric wrote: »

His daughter studying a PHD in Trinity is his only Irish connection as far as I know.

After launch in the shuttle, the first thing they see after meco is Ireland. It's just a feature of the launch. Mad eh?

Meangadh

force eleven wrote: »

Mrs Brown.

I'm serious. The Brits watch the show in their millions. A great sell.

There aren't enough "nos" in the world for the amount of times I would have to say "no" to this.

Good Jesus.

JupiterKid

No better man for the job. Chris Hadfield is an inspiration to us all. I just wish he was Taoiseach as well.

MRnotlob606

COSOMANAUTSARE MORE AWESOME

DEFTLEFTHAND

sdeire wrote: »

Has he a particular Irish connection? If not, fair play to the guy.

Just adds to the list of good stuff he comes out with either way!

No connection at all apart from his daughter attending Trinity for a period of time. I'd say he was bit bemused when they asked him to do this.

Agricola

I'd pick Chris Hadfield too. The whole media love in around him is a throw back to the old days, when people with real talent and achievements were front and center. It's nice to get a break from Miley fúcking Cyrusmania.

amdublin

I'd pick Chris Hadfield.

Chris Hadfield rocks. I could listen to him for hours on end. To think that he is going to be speaking (with the poetic way he has of describing things) about Ireland is amazing IMO.

All hail Chris Hadfield.

harry Bailey esq

Roy keane,hands down. ROY:(in his lovely corkchester accent) 'Visit Ireland,ye pr%ks!'

IvaBigWun

force eleven wrote: »

Mrs Brown.

I'm serious. The Brits watch the show in their millions. A great sell.

GTFO.






*shivers at the mere thought*