Dr Niamh Shaw has wanted to be an astronaut since she was eight years old, and now she’s determined to get to space, no matter what.

At Inspirefest 2017, engineer, scientist and performer Dr Niamh Shaw spoke on stage about how, despite having many degrees and moving on to a career as a performer, she felt something was missing from her life.

That was until she embarked upon a project detailing all of the major life decisions she decided not to take, which took her down an unexpected path.

That path led to the realisation that her dream as an eight-year-old to be an astronaut never materialised, and that realisation hurt the most.

So she decided to do something about it.

Words by Colm Gorey