Project highlights to date – from The Gathering in 2013, the 150th Anniversary celebrations in July 2016 and the inaugural Valentia Lecture series.
Valentia Cable World Heritage
The Gathering
Valentia Island hosted an event as part of ‘The Gathering, Ireland 2013’ to share the idea of the UNESCO World Heritage Site for the Transatlantic Cable sites on the island.
Feasibility Paper Funded
Funding is secured to complete the Valentia Island, Ireland UNESCO World Heritage Feasibility Report.
Feasibility Paper 1 Published
- The Trans-Atlantic Cable as World Heritage Paper 1: Authenticity, Integrity and Associated Considerations for the Ensemble of Sites at Valentia Island, County Kerry, Ireland is completed.
- The feasibility report was presented at the American Irish Historical Society on May 27 in New York.
Paper 2 Funded
- Funding secured from Intel Ireland to complete Paper 2, in order to assess further the possibility of UNESCO World Heritage status.
- Valentia Island World Heritage is included in the County Kerry Economic Development Plan and coordinated with the 150th Cable Anniversary celebration plans in NY and DC USA, London UK, Valentia Island Ireland, and Hearts Content Canada.
150th Anniversary
- Paper 2 is completed, demonstrating that the Trans-Atlantic cable is of Outstanding Universal Value.
- The 150th Anniversary celebrations welcome representatives from the US and Canadian embassies, the Irish government and industry leaders to Valentia. The events are reported on national television and radio.
- The Valentia Transatlantic Cable Foundation Board is established.
Skellig Coast & the Cable Story
- Cable project is included in Kerry County Council Tourism Strategy and Action Plan 2016 – 2022.
- Cable Building Restoration begins.
Skellig Coast Visitor Experience Development Plan Launched
The Transatlantic Cable is included as a major project on Fáilte Ireland’s Skellig Coast Visitor Experience Development Plan, which will involve the creation of an interactive experience relating the Cable story in Valentia.
valentiacable.com launched
Inaugural Valentia Lecture Series
The inaugural Valentia Island Lecture is held in the Cable Station chaired by IDA CEO Martin Shanahan and keynote speaker Professor Jeffrey Garten from Yale (both pictured above) addressing a large audience on the topic of globalisation. The IDA and BT Ireland are premium sponsors.
“the notion to me that this wouldn’t be a UNESCO site is absurd” – Professor Garten
Videos and photos of the lecture series and gala can be found at https://valentiacable.com/events
Canada updates World Heritage Tentative List
Heart’s Content Cable Station, Newfoundland was formally recognised as a Canadian national treasure, and included with seven other locations in that country’s updated list of Tentative World Heritage sites. It proposes a transnational application with Valentia sites.
Cable Station Renovations & Charity Status Established
- Further government money is secured for containment actions on the Cable Building in Knightstown.
- The Foundation is established as a Company Limited by Guarantee and achieves charitable status by year end.
- A tender is launched to develop the Valentia Cable Station Heritage Centre Business Plan.
- Good progress is made in securing ownership of the Cable Station.
President’s visit to the Cable Station
President Michael D. Higgins visited the Cable Station and spoke about the history of the building and the project to gain UNESCO recognition for the cable sites. You can watch his speech and the event at https://youtu.be/TTHnu08xypQ
Minister Brendan Griffin visits Heart’s Content
Minister of State for Tourism, Brendan Griffin, on his visit to the Cable Station at Hearts Content in Newfoundland, Feb 20th 2018.
Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027
Minister Josepha Madigan TD presents “Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027” – a ten year plan setting out the Government’s commitment for capital investment of almost €1.2 billion in Ireland’s culture, language and heritage.
Valentia Island Cable Station is announced as a priority project of the €285 Heritage Programme to maintain and protect heritage assets.
Valentia Cable Station handed to the people of Valentia
A major milestone in the project was completed on July 13th, when the historic Cable Station building, was handed over by the current owner, Mrs Ranka Pollmeier, and was accepted on behalf of the people of Valentia by the new Mayor of Kerry, Ms Norma Foley. In welcoming the handover of the building, Mayor Foley “thank Mrs Pollmeier for her long standing commitment to the island and for this generous gift which will enable future opportunities for the people of Valentia and attract many more visitors to this very historic place”
Valentia Lecture Series 2018
July 13th 2018 saw the 3rd annual Valentia Lecture and Gala with speakers: Ms Irina Bokova former Director-General of UNESCO (2009-2017); Professor Genevieve Bell Vice President for Strategy at Intel and a distinguished Professor at the Australian National University; Dr Robert Mauro, Director of the Global Leadership Institute at Boston College; and Professor Chris Morash, Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Writing and Vice Provost at TCD.
Telegraph Reconnection
Celebrating the 1866 Newfoundland to Valentia inaugural Trans-Atlantic telegraph message with IET Ireland and Kerry Radio Club @ The Cable Station, Knightstown from 2pm – more details available at https://valentiacable.com/events/reconnecting-valentia-hearts-content-2018/
Fáilte Ireland awards ‘The Transatlantic Cable Story’ EUR161k
In October, the Minister for Sports and Tourism, Mr. Brendan Griffin announced a grant of €161K for the Cable Station from Fáilte Ireland under The Wild Atlantic Way 2018 Grants Scheme in the presence of the Kerry County Manager Moira Murrell, the Newfoundland Minister for Tourism, Culture and Industry, Mr Christopher Mitchelmore and John Griffin, Tourism Officer for Kerry.
Rural Regeneration Grant Funding EUR1.37m granted to KCC
Our colleagues in Kerry County Council made a major submission to the 2018 call of the Department of Rural and Community Development’s €1bn ‘Rural Regeneration and Development Plan’ , 2019-2027, which proposed a mixed use at the Cable station, combining a heritage centre on the ground floor and innovation hub on the upper floor. We were delighted to learn of our success in being selected as the one the only project in Kerry and have been allocated €1.37m for the Cable station.
Fundraising Brochure Launched
Digital Hub Workshop
We facilitated a first workshop in the Cable Station on Saturday April 13th 2019 to start the process of defining the theme and scope for the Hub element of the project. Speakers included representatives from the Dingle Hub, the Sneem Hub and the Ludgate Hub from Skibbereen along with local business owners and representatives from Academia at IT Tralee and Trinity College. Enterprise Ireland were also represented.
2020 Milestones
- Formal application submitted for consideration to the Irish Tentative List for potential future nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List
- The initial visitors centre and museum is opened at the Cable Station
- Work begins on restoring the Cable Station
- Plans are defined for the Innovation Hub at the Cable Station
2021 Milestones
- Restoration work is complete at the Cable Station, visitor numbers exceed 20,000
- Focus shifts to the other relevant sites in the ensemble
- The Innovation Hub receives its first tenants
- The campaign for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List gathers pace