In a rare public appearance in 1997, Neil Alden Armstrong, most famously known as the American astronaut who was the first person to walk on the Moon, spent four days in Kerry on a visit to open an exhibition on space exploration at the town’s county museum.
Armstrong, who was also an aerospace engineer, U.S. Navy pilot, test pilot, and university professor, was accompanied by a small number of officials and then deputy mayor Johnny Wall and greeted during by thousands at the official opening of the exhibition on Denny Street.
Whilst here, Armstrong visited the popular Killarney National Park and used the road through the town park to access Siamsa Tíre, the national folk theatre. He was also given the freedom of Tralee at a civic reception hosted by the town council and the then mayor, the late Maeve Spring, sister of then tánaiste Dick Spring who was instrumental in organising this visit.
In honour of his visit and in remembrance of his passing just a few weeks ago on August 25, 2012, at the age of 82, it has been decided that a rose and shrub-lined pedestrian way through Tralee’s town park graced by the footsteps of this late great astronaut will be named after him.
“The Neil Armstrong Way” will be yet another popular landmark and place of interested for tourists on Ireland Vacations in the beautiful region of Kerry, and a plaque bearing the astronauts name shall shortly be erected.