New play tells tale of transatlantic cable that put Kerry at centre of the world

The Cable is set in Valentia Island in 1866 as the area played a huge role in the development of global communications 

Mike Kelly, writer of The Cable.

Describing himself as a London-Ballinskelligs man, actor Mike Kelly has written a play about a seismic event on Valentia Island, off the west coast of Kerry, which took place in 1866. Known as the ‘eighth wonder of the world,’ the laying of the transatlantic cable from the island to Heart’s Content in Newfoundland spanning 3,000km, revolutionised global communications by reducing the transmission time of messages across continents from weeks to mere minutes.

 Aidan Dooley, who wrote and performed the award-winning Tom Crean: Antarctic Explorer, has come on board to direct the play in a new telling, co-produced by Siamsa Tíre.