Áiteanna Iar-Ghualta (Backward places) or Centres of the Information age? Valentia Island Telegraph Station and Crookhaven Marconi Radio Station 1902.
In a piece in Alan Drumm’s book on ‘Kerry and the Royal Munster Fusiliers’ he suggests that contrary to popular imagination Kerry and by inference West Cork were not backwaters pre WW1 but in the middle of the information age.
The Valentia Telegraph Station linked North America with the UK and until 1906 had a German Government Cable.
Marconi had an operation in Crookhaven which commenced in 1902
http://www.mizenhead.net/marconi.html
Charles Flynn an Irish emigrant who came home on a visit in 1904 was very impressed at how good the postal system and the telegraph was in comparison to the USA
http://www.mizenhead.net/marconi.html
West Cork History 
Wonderful picture of receiving room and the maps – thanks for sharing Pat
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This one is of great interest, Pat. My great great uncle, Frank Newman worked for Marconi for many years and worked at the Crookhaven monitoring station in 1902 including during the historic trans Atlantic transmission. His maternal grandparents, William Kirby and Euphemia Talbot were both Irish born, William Kirby from Cork, I believe. The family moved to Liverpool during the 1830s. I have often wondered whether Frank knew of his Cork family connections at the time.
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