Cable stations in south-west Kerry are to be recognised at last for the crucial role they played in the development of modern telecommunications. In 1866, history was made when the laying of the first transatlantic cable began, linking the old and new worlds.
The cable enabled telegraphic communication between New Foundland in Canada and the Iveragh Peninsula in Co Kerry. It was a development as exciting in its day as the advent of e-commerce. Suddenly, news on this side of the Atlantic could be flashed to the other side and vice-versa. There were implications for stock exchange movements on both sides - it was the dawning of a new age.
The New Foundland station has been preserved and is a recognised museum, valued for its role in what at the time was a breathtaking leap forward in the way we communicate.
It was awarded the "milestone" endorsement of the Washington-based Institute of Electronic Engineers (IEEE) in 1985 and a plaque was unveiled to commemorate the event.
In south-west Kerry this did not go unnoticedand three years later a committee was established to raise awareness of the Kerry contribution to the overall scheme.
The committee liaised with the IEEE and made the case. Kerry, after all, had not one, but three, cable stations. They were at Valentia Island, Ballinskelligs and Waterville.
The Valentia Island and Waterville stations, established in the late 1800s, continued to operate until 1962 but were made redundant with the arrival of satellite technology. The station at Ballin skelligs closed in 1922.
On July 13th the president of the IEEE, Mr Bruce Eisenstein, will travel to Valentia Island to put matters right. At 3 p.m. he will unveil a plaque there and plaques will mark the two other sites where the cables entered the sea.
The Valentia Island ceremony is intended to be the formal one - local communities will perform the unveiling at Ballinskelligs and Waterville. In a sense, this is a milestone for the area, and no doubt it will be a welcome fillip for local tourism efforts in the region.