Canada seeks Unesco World Heritage status for Valentia Island

Canada is taking a lead role in seeking Unesco World Heritage status for a residential Irish island.

A Canadian Ministerial Advisory Committee is urging the Government here to include the former transatlantic cable station on Valentia Island in Kerry in Ireland’s list of Tentative World Heritage Sites, as part of a linked bid between both countries.

In 1866, the first successful transatlantic telegraph cable link was laid stretching over 3,000km between Knightstown station on Valentia and Newfoundland, Canada.