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Landmark documentary on world’s first transatlantic cable airs on RTÉ
- UCC and RTÉ co-production documents major milestone in global communications and the birth of modern telecommunications.
- Two remote communities made history when the world’s first transatlantic cable was laid between Valentia Island in Kerry and Heart’s Content in Newfoundland.
- 99% of all internet and mobile communications are powered by undersea cable.
A new documentary 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 8-year journey to achieve what was previously thought to be impossible – connecting North America and Europe with near instant communication streams.
Narrated by Jessie Buckley, produced by RTÉ in partnership with University College Cork and Tyrone Productions, The Cable that Changed the World details this pivotal feat in the history of communication – through cinematography, graphics, historical reconstructions and rarely seen archive footage.
It will be broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player at 9.35pm on Monday, 12 August.
The first transmission via undersea cable on 16th of August 1858 signalled a new age of modern communication and laid the foundation of modern Ireland’s technology industry, with impacts still being felt today. Prior to this technological advancement, messages took at least ten days to travel by ship.
Today, 99% of all internet and mobile communications are powered by undersea cable, not by not by satellite. In the digital age, undersea cable remains the cheapest and most efficient communications method, with all major global tech companies utilising and investing in them across the world.
The two communities at the centre of this story, Valentia Island and Heart’s Content, share a vision of securing UNESCO World Heritage status. It is hoped that the cable houses and communities that helped change the course of communication history and globalisation will be recognised in the coming years.
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 Cable that Changed the World’ and Adjunct Professor of English at UCC College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, said: “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 sheds new light on one of the defining technological events of modern times and the central role played by Ireland and the people of Valentia Island, County Kerry.”
Head of RTÉ Cork, Colm Crowley said: “The Cable that Changed the World is the fourth major coproduction between RTÉ Cork and UCC, telling Ireland's story with fresh perspectives and new insights. RTÉ Cork is delighted to have commissioned this world class film that celebrates and highlights the important role not only Ireland, but Kerry has played in one of the most important science stories in history.”
The Cable that Changed the World is written and directed by Ruán Magan and produced by Patricia Carroll, Tyrone Productions for RTÉ and UCC. Executive producers are John Fitzgerald for UCC, and Head of RTÉ Cork, Colm Crowley. The documentary was also supported by the BBC and ARTE.
Watch The Cable that Changed the World, Monday, 12 August at 9:35pm on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player.