News
Valentia Island Opens New ‘Eighth Wonder’ Experience At The Historic Cable Station

Over 150 years ago, Valentia Island was at the centre of a revolution that changed the world - and now you can discover why, at Valentia Cable Station.

EXHIBIT: Marc Roosli of Mirador Media at the launch of The ‘Eight Wonder’ a new interactive installation that reveals the astounding story of the transatlantic cable. Developed through Fáilte Ireland’s ‘New Horizons on the Wild Atlantic Way’ Grants Scheme. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan

SHIP: Mary Rose Stafford Valentia Cable Station Foundation and Michéal Lyne Valentia Island Cable Stationlooking at a model of ‘Great Eastern’ cable-laying steamship at the launch of the ‘Eight Wonder’ at Valentia Island Cable Station. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan

LAUNCH: Danielle Favier Fáilte Ireland at the launch of the ‘Eight Wonder’. Over 150 years ago Valentia Island was at the centre of a revolution that changed the world byh creating a permanent communications link a transatlantic telegraph cable between Europe and North America from Foilhomurrum Bay successfully landing at Hearts Content Newfoundland in July 1866. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan

EXHIBIT: Marc Roosli of Mirador Media at the launch of The ‘Eight Wonder’ a new interactive installation that reveals the astounding story of the transatlantic cable. Developed through Fáilte Ireland’s ‘New Horizons on the Wild Atlantic Way’ Grants Scheme. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan

SHIP: Mary Rose Stafford Valentia Cable Station Foundation and Michéal Lyne Valentia Island Cable Stationlooking at a model of ‘Great Eastern’ cable-laying steamship at the launch of the ‘Eight Wonder’ at Valentia Island Cable Station. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan

LAUNCH: Danielle Favier Fáilte Ireland at the launch of the ‘Eight Wonder’. Over 150 years ago Valentia Island was at the centre of a revolution that changed the world byh creating a permanent communications link a transatlantic telegraph cable between Europe and North America from Foilhomurrum Bay successfully landing at Hearts Content Newfoundland in July 1866. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan
‘Eighth Wonder’ is a new interactive installation that reveals the astounding story of the transatlantic cable laid between Valentia and Newfoundland.
The transatlantic cable story was called the Eighth Wonder of the World, the wire that changed the world, and it stretched 3,000 kilometres beneath the ocean and cut communication times between Europe and North America from weeks to minutes.
It was the beginning of global communications, and behind it lies an astonishing story of human endurance, science, adventure, genius - and the biggest ship in the world.
Valentia's crucial role in transatlantic cable project - the technological equivalent at the time of putting a man on the moon - is told in this immersive visitor experience at the Valentia Cable Station.
You can send your own morse code message and try to break the code, discover the underwater cables of today and see how communications technology has changed.
Eighth Wonder reveals how Valentia played a crucial role in an astounding human achievement that still influences how we live today.
‘Eighth Wonder’ was developed through Fáilte Ireland’s ‘New Horizons on the Wild Atlantic Way’ Grants Scheme with €200,000 being provided to bring the transatlantic cable experience to life again. New Horizons on the Wild Atlantic Way 2018 is a grants scheme for existing visitor attractions along the Wild Atlantic Way coastal route, designed to unlock the great stories the region has to offer.
Wild Atlantic Way Manager at Fáilte Ireland, Josephine O’Driscoll, said:
“The Visitor Experience Development Plan for the Skellig’s Coast, which was developed in consultation with local stakeholders, tourism businesses and the community, identified a number of development projects to bring local experiences along the Skellig Coast to life to help drive and sustain tourism in the area. Following the launch of the plan, we invested in a number of projects including €200,000 in the development of the ‘Eighth Wonder’ visitor experience at Valentia Cable Station and it is fantastic to see the project come to fruition. Innovative visitor experiences such as this are hugely important in attracting visitors and encouraging them to stay longer in the area and will be critical as we look towards driving a continued recovery of the tourism sector.”
News
Massive Park Road housing development given green light
A private developer has been given planning permission to build 249 new residential units at Upper Park Road. The development, which will be built on a recently cleared site near […]

A private developer has been given planning permission to build 249 new residential units at Upper Park Road.
The development, which will be built on a recently cleared site near An Post’s sorting office, will include a variety of properties from five-bed houses to single apartments, along with a crèche and over 500 car spaces and over 300 bike spaces.
The development has been welcomed by local councillor Martin Grady.
“Killarney has a massive housing shortage so this is very positive. It will retain young families in the area, stimulating economic growth,” he said. “After 17 years of different planning applications it’s finally coming to fruition.”
News
Ballydribeen residents living in fear due to anti-social behaviour
Residents in the Ballydribeen are living in fear as a result of increased anti-social behaviour in the estate. Several serious incidents in the estate have resulted in several Garda visits […]

Residents in the Ballydribeen are living in fear as a result of increased anti-social behaviour in the estate.
Several serious incidents in the estate have resulted in several Garda visits in the last week.
Local councillor Martin Grady told the Killarney Advertiser that residents are “living in fear” as a result of very serious incidents in the last week alone.
One house in the estate was badly damaged when fire crackers were placed inside a letter box.
Another house had its windows smashed in over the weekend.
“It’s a major problem,” added Grady after meeting residents there earlier this week.
One of the most serious incidents occurred on Tuesday night.
A passing motorists had rocks thrown at his car while driving along the bypass whch is adjacent to the estate.
Taking to social media, local primary-school teacher Pádraig O’Sullivan posted:
“Travelling home tonight, at 11.05pm on the Killarney side of the bypass our car was hit by a rock – not a pebble – from the Ballydribben side , which hit the passenger door.
“It was centimetres away from hitting the window where my father, who is visually impaired, was sitting.
“This could have caused catastrophic permanent injury to him.
“The Killarney Garda were on the scene within three minutes.
“They can’t be patrolling the bypass all night.
“It comes down to parenting. You should know where your children are at this hour and be able to teach them what’s funny and what ruin a person’s life or cause a fatal crash.“
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