1854: Plans drawn to connect Europe and America by undersea cable; Foilhommerum Bay chosen as the Irish launch site.

1857–1858: Five attempts made; finally achieving a temporary connection between Valentia and Newfoundland, sparking worldwide celebrations.

1865: The Great Eastern, the world’s largest ship, attempted again but the cable snapped mid-Atlantic.

1866: A new cable successfully laid, and the 1865 line recovered, creating two working transatlantic links. Queen Victoria’s message to President Andrew Johnson marked the achievement.

1873 to 1894: Additional cables laid to strengthen and expand the network.

A memorial now stands at Foilhommerum Bay, commemorating one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century.