The Wire that Changed the World

Recorded November 11, 2021. In 1858 the first ever message to be transmitted across an ocean – a note of congratulations from Queen Victoria to President Buchanan of the United States -- was sent from Valentia Island in County Kerry to Trinity Bay in Newfoundland. The 98-word message took 16 hours to transmit, and the US President’s 143-word response was sent in just 10 hours. Improvements in cable technology meant that when the next successful cable was laid, in 1866, messages that had once taken two weeks by ship could be sent in minutes. Valentia Island in County Kerry played a major role in connecting the old and new worlds for the first time, placing Ireland at the ‘cross hairs’ of the emerging global communications industry. The Valentia Transatlantic Cable Foundation Board, established in May 2016, is now working with the community at Valentia and Kerry County Council to pursue UNESCO Heritage status for the Transatlantic Cable ensemble at Valentia. Organised by the Trinity Long Room Hub in partnership with the Valentia Transatlantic Cable Foundation on Thursday, to explore the significance of this historic achievement and hear how the ‘wire that changed the world’ continues to inspire us today. Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/