New documentary sheds light on 'The Cable that Changed the World'
The Telegraph Field (or Longitude Field) on Valentia Island, Co Kerry, with its cable station, (ruins) is the site of the first permanent communications link - transatlantic telegraph cable between Europe and North America from Foilhomurrum Bay, successfully landing at Hearts Content, Newfoundland, in July 1866. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan
A new documentary being aired on Monday night tells the epic story of the first transatlantic communications cable laid between Valentia Island, County Kerry, and Newfoundland, Canada 165 years ago.
‘The Cable that Changed the World' explores the challenges faced by the cable pioneers during their eight year journey to achieve what was previously thought to be impossible.
Narrated by Jessie Buckley and produced by RTÉ in partnership with University College Cork and Tyrone Productions, ‘The Cable that Changed the World’ features graphics, historical reconstructions and rarely seen archive footage.
It will be broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player at 9.35pm on Monday.
Head of RTÉ Cork, Colm Crowley said: “The Cable that Changed the World is the fourth major co production between RTÉ Cork and UCC, telling Ireland's story with fresh perspectives and new insights.
The first transmission via undersea cable on August 16, 1858 signalled a new age of modern communication. Prior to this technological advancement messages took at least 10 days to travel by ship.
It laid the foundation of modern Ireland’s technology industry, with impacts still being felt today, as 99% of all internet and mobile communications are now powered by undersea cable rather than satellite. It remains the cheapest and most efficient communications method.
Narrator Jessie Buckley said: “It was a real privilege for me to be part of this compelling story of this group of pioneering visionaries whose ambition and ingenuity was to develop a global communication system that would change the world.”
John FitzGerald, executive producer of the documentary and adjunct professor of English at UCC, added: “As part of our commitment to making scholarship publicly accessible through groundbreaking books in our Atlas series, as well as documentary films including ‘The Hunger’, ‘The Irish Revolution’ and ‘The Irish Civil War’, University College Cork is proud to share our considerable academic expertise to the making of this important new film.
The Cable that Changed the World is written and directed by Ruán Magan and produced by Patricia Carroll, Tyrone Productions for RTÉ and UCC.
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