On behalf of the board of the Valentia Transatlantic Cable Foundation, I am delighted to welcome you to our website. The objective of our Foundation is to achieve UNESCO World Heritage status for Valentia Island in recognition of its role in the successful implementation of the first transatlantic cable which heralded the start of global communications and the globalisation phenomena which continue to shape our world today. I hope you enjoy browsing through the various pages and learning about our exciting project.
The story which began over 150 years ago is an inspiring one which includes many elements including scientific endeavour, innovation, communication, risk taking, entrepreneurship, social responsibility, globalisation and ultimately jubilation as an international team from both sides of the Atlantic collaborated to achieve what was believed to be an impossible task. The Transatlantic cable reduced the time it took to communicate dramatically as what required 2 weeks by ship could now be done via the deep sea copper cables in minutes, thus beginning an era of global collaboration.
As you will learn elsewhere on this website, we have ambitious plans to restore the key historical sites to their former glory as we pursue UNESCO World Heritage status and to create a place which recalls the wondrous technological achievements of a time past while driving opportunities for Valentia in the future. We hope that you will join us on this journey and we look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Leonard Hobbs
Chairperson