Waterville, County Kerry
Encyclopedia
Waterville, historically known as Carrean , is a village
in County Kerry
, Ireland
, on the Iveragh peninsula
. The town is sited on a narrow isthmus
, with Lough Currane
on the east side of the town, and Ballinskelligs
Bay on the west, and the Currane River connecting the two.
The town's name in Irish
refers to the river in the case of "The Little Whirlpool", or "The Sickle" refers to the shape of Ballinskelligs Bay on which the town sits; the name however has been transplanted onto the lake with the Irish name being Loch Luíoch or Loch Luidheach.
The Butler family
built a house at the mouth of the River Currane in the latter part of the 18th century. They named their house and estate Waterville. The village that developed on the estate during the first half of the 19th century was also named Waterville.
The N70
Ring of Kerry
route
passes through the town. Waterville has a population of 538 (CSO 2002).
The first successful transatlantic cable was finally laid after a number of attempts in 1865 by the Anglo American Telegraph Company
between Heart's Content in Newfoundland and Labrador
and Valentia Island
near Waterville. In the 1880s, Cyrus Field's Commercial Cable Company
laid the first Transatlantic telegraph cable
from the nearby townland of Spunkane to Canso, Nova Scotia
. The cable station brought much activity to Waterville and increased the town's size.
laying telegraph cable behind her. The successful landing at Heart's Content
, Newfoundland on July 27, established the first telegraph link between Europe and the United States.
Later, additional cables were laid from Valentia Island
and new stations opened at Ballinskelligs
(1874) and Waterville (1884) making County Kerry
a focal point for intercontinental communication.
There were strong proponents on both sides of the Atlantic and few more so than the Knight of Kerry
[citation/disambiguity needed] who fought to have the cable come to Valentia Island
.
In July 2000, the cable stations received an International Milestone Heritage Site Award from the IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers Inc USA) for their significance in the history of electrical science. The Kerry cable stations are recognised as World Heritage Communications Sites.
The community has arranged to hold the inaugural Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival on 25th-28th August 2011
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, on the Iveragh peninsula
Iveragh Peninsula
The Iveragh Peninsula is located in County Kerry in Ireland. It is the largest peninsula in southwestern Ireland. A mountain range, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, lies in the centre of the peninsula...
. The town is sited on a narrow isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
, with Lough Currane
Lough Currane
Lough Currane is a lough of County Kerry, Ireland. Waterville lies on its western bank, close to the Atlantic Ocean and Raheen lies on its southern bank. The lake had the St. Finan Cam monastery on Church Island. To the south of the lake is Inis Uasal , an island dedicated to St. Finan...
on the east side of the town, and Ballinskelligs
Ballinskelligs
Baile an Sceilg , anglicised as Ballinskelligs, is a Gaeltacht village in the south-west of the Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland....
Bay on the west, and the Currane River connecting the two.
The town's name in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
refers to the river in the case of "The Little Whirlpool", or "The Sickle" refers to the shape of Ballinskelligs Bay on which the town sits; the name however has been transplanted onto the lake with the Irish name being Loch Luíoch or Loch Luidheach.
The Butler family
Butler family
Butler family may refer to:* Butler dynasty, a noble family in Ireland* Butler-Belmont family, a family of United States politicians* Butler family , a family in the Artemis Fowl teen novel series...
built a house at the mouth of the River Currane in the latter part of the 18th century. They named their house and estate Waterville. The village that developed on the estate during the first half of the 19th century was also named Waterville.
The N70
N70 road (Ireland)
The N70 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It comprises most of the Ring of Kerry.-Route: – Sneem – Castlecove – Caherdaniel – Waterville – Cahersiveen – Killorglin – – Milltown – Castlemaine – – Tralee.-See also:*Roads...
Ring of Kerry
Ring of Kerry
The Ring of Kerry is a tourist trail in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. The route covers the 179 km circular road , starting from Killarney, heading around the Iveragh Peninsula and passing through Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen and Killorglin...
route
Roads in Ireland
The island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...
passes through the town. Waterville has a population of 538 (CSO 2002).
History
Transatlantic telegraph cable
The transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It crossed from , Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The transatlantic cable connected North America...
between Heart's Content in Newfoundland and Labrador
Heart's Content, Newfoundland and Labrador
Heart's Content is an incorporated town in Trinity Bay on the Bay de Verde Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The natural harbour that makes up the town is located on the east side of Trinity Bay and it is built along the northeast side and the southeast base of this...
and Valentia Island
Valentia Island
Valentia Island is one of Ireland's westernmost points, lying off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry, Ireland. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial bridge at Portmagee, as well as by a ferry which sails from Reenard Point to Knightstown, the island's...
near Waterville. In the 1880s, Cyrus Field's Commercial Cable Company
Commercial Cable Company
The Commercial Cable Company was founded in the United States in 1884 by John William Mackay and James Gordon Bennett, Jr. Their motivation was to break the then virtual monopoly of Jay Gould on transatlantic telegraphy and bring down prices .The technology was well established by this time, and...
laid the first Transatlantic telegraph cable
Transatlantic telegraph cable
The transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It crossed from , Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The transatlantic cable connected North America...
from the nearby townland of Spunkane to Canso, Nova Scotia
Canso, Nova Scotia
For the headland, see Cape Canso.Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village , was instrumental...
. The cable station brought much activity to Waterville and increased the town's size.
Telegraph cables
On July 13, 1866, the Great Eastern steamed westward from Valentia IslandValentia Island
Valentia Island is one of Ireland's westernmost points, lying off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry, Ireland. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial bridge at Portmagee, as well as by a ferry which sails from Reenard Point to Knightstown, the island's...
laying telegraph cable behind her. The successful landing at Heart's Content
Heart's Content, Newfoundland and Labrador
Heart's Content is an incorporated town in Trinity Bay on the Bay de Verde Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The natural harbour that makes up the town is located on the east side of Trinity Bay and it is built along the northeast side and the southeast base of this...
, Newfoundland on July 27, established the first telegraph link between Europe and the United States.
Later, additional cables were laid from Valentia Island
Valentia Island
Valentia Island is one of Ireland's westernmost points, lying off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry, Ireland. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial bridge at Portmagee, as well as by a ferry which sails from Reenard Point to Knightstown, the island's...
and new stations opened at Ballinskelligs
Ballinskelligs
Baile an Sceilg , anglicised as Ballinskelligs, is a Gaeltacht village in the south-west of the Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland....
(1874) and Waterville (1884) making County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
a focal point for intercontinental communication.
There were strong proponents on both sides of the Atlantic and few more so than the Knight of Kerry
Knight of Kerry
Knight of Kerry, also called the Green Knight, is one of three Anglo-Irish hereditary knighthoods, all of which existed in Ireland since feudal times. The others are the White Knight and the Knight of Glin...
[citation/disambiguity needed] who fought to have the cable come to Valentia Island
Valentia Island
Valentia Island is one of Ireland's westernmost points, lying off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry, Ireland. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial bridge at Portmagee, as well as by a ferry which sails from Reenard Point to Knightstown, the island's...
.
In July 2000, the cable stations received an International Milestone Heritage Site Award from the IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers Inc USA) for their significance in the history of electrical science. The Kerry cable stations are recognised as World Heritage Communications Sites.
People
- The town was a favourite holiday spot of Charlie ChaplinCharlie ChaplinSir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
and his family who used to stay in The Butler Arms HotelThe Butler Arms HotelThe Butler Arms Hotel in Waterville, County Kerry, Ireland is best known for its guests such as Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones. But it has a written history closely linked with the history of Ireland that extends back to 1884...
. There is a statue of him in the centre of the village in his memory. The community has also obtained permission from the Charlie Chaplin estate to hold the inaugural Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival in the spirit of Charlie Chaplin. - It is the home of Mick O'DwyerMick O'DwyerMick O'Dwyer , is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played Gaelic football with his local club Waterville and was a member of the Kerry senior team from 1956 until 1974...
, Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er and former Kerry senior footballKerry GAAThe Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
manager in the 1970s and 1980s.
Sport
- Waterville Golf links has been voted the 5th best golf course in UK and Ireland.
- The newly opened Skellig's Bay Golf Club has been listed as 67th in the same vote.
- Waterville GAAWaterville GAAWaterville GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association Gaelic football club in Waterville, south County Kerry, Ireland. Former Kerry player & manager Mick O'Dwyer is from the club....
is the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club. The club has been rebuilt and includes a gym.
Website
South West Kerry Communities developed a website for Waterville and launched it on 13 February 2009.The community has arranged to hold the inaugural Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival on 25th-28th August 2011
Tech Amergin
The Tech Amergin adult education centre (named after a mythical explorer to the area) has been refurbished. It offers successful events and shows, as well as exhibitions and vocational training.See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland