| Waterville | |
| Native Name: | Irish: An Coireán |
| Native Name Lang: | ga |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Pushpin Map: | Ireland |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Ireland |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Ireland |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Munster |
| Subdivision Type3: | County |
| Subdivision Name3: | County Kerry |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Population As Of: | 2022 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population: | 555 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | WET |
| Utc Offset1: | +0 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | IST (WEST) |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -1 |
| Coordinates: | 51.8276°N -10.1722°W |
| Blank Name: | Irish Grid Reference |
Waterville, historically known as Coirean[2], 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 N70 Ring of Kerry route passes through the town. As of the 2022 CSO census, Waterville had a population of 555.[1]
The town's name in Irish, Coireán, means "little cauldron" or "little whirlpool",[2] [3] and refers to the shape of Ballinskelligs Bay on which the town sits. This name, however, has been transplanted onto the lake with the lake's 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.[4] The village that developed on the estate during the first half of the 19th century was also named Waterville.
Evidence of ancient settlement in the area include a megalithic tomb at Eightercua. This four-stone alignment (stone-row) is located 1.5 km south-south-east of the village.[5]
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.[6] [7]
Waterville's role in transatlantic communication came later when in the 1880s, the Mackay-Bennett Commercial Cable Company laid their first Transatlantic telegraph cable from the nearby townland of Spunkane to Hazel Hill, near Canso, Nova Scotia. The cable station brought much activity to Waterville and additional housing was built to accommodate the telegraph company personnel who settled in the area.[8] Waterville served as the principal European hub for the Commercial Cable Company.[9]
On 13 July 1866, SS Great Eastern steamed westward from Valentia Island laying telegraph cable behind her. The successful landing at Heart's Content, Newfoundland on 27 July, established the first telegraph link between Europe and North America.
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. The Commercial Cable Company were able to lay cables from Waterville to Canso, Nova Scotia, with onward connections. Connections from Waterville to Weston-super-Mare in England and Le Havre in France were soon established. During the Civil War, the communication system between Paris and New York went down on 7 August 1922 when IRA irregulars seized Waterville.[10]
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.[11]
Waterville's cable station history is outlined in an exhibition in the Tech Amergin centre,[12] and the remaining structures and locations feature in the Waterville Heritage Trail.[13]
The town has been fighting back against coastal erosion since the early 20th century.[14]
Charlie Chaplin and his family first visited the town in 1959. They then returned to holiday in the town every year for over ten years. The community continued the connection to Chaplin by obtaining permission from the Charlie Chaplin estate to hold the inaugural Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival in the spirit of Charlie Chaplin. The first festival was held in August 2011.[15]
The Tech Amergin adult education centre (named after Amergin Glúingel, a mythical explorer to the area) is used as a venue for events, shows and exhibitions, and vocational training.[16]
Waterville Golf links has been voted the 5th best golf course in UK and Ireland. The newer Hogs Head Golf Club was named "Best New International Course" in 2018 by Golf Magazine.[17]
Waterville GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club. The club's facilities have been rebuilt and include a gym and public running track.