Derrigimlagh Discovery Point

Clifden


A wealth of interactive exhibits dot this 5km scenic loop walk around windswept bogland: crystal radio sets let you listen to recordings from the 1907 station established here by Guglielmo Marconi – the messages it transmitted were the earliest transatlantic wireless communications. Artistic panels also mark the area's other claim to fame: in 1919 British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown completed the world's first transatlantic flight when they crash-landed into the bog. The trailhead is 6km south of Clifden

Both aviators survived and were awarded the honour of Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) a week later by King George V.

The wireless station operated until 1922, when it was attacked by Republican forces and compensation from the Free State government for its repair didn't eventuate.

Clifden's Station House Museum also covers these two 20th-century technological advancements.


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