FIRST Commercial Transatlantic Wireless Station - Derrygimla, Ireland, EU
Posted by: 
Jarda315
N 53° 26.797 W 010° 01.325
29U E 432118 N 5922441
In July of 1905, Marconi chose the Derrygimla bog in Connemara as the site for the largest Marconi Station.
Waymark Code: WM77KR
Location: Connacht, Ireland
Date Posted: 09/14/2009
Views: 12
Located three miles south of Clifden in County Galway, the 300 acre site on the Atlantic Coast offered a direct signal across the ocean to Glace Bay, Newfoundland, Canada using the horizontal directional aerial which Marconi had just patented. The existing station in Poldhu, Cornwall, England was unsuitable for this aerial.
On 17 October 1907, the inaugural message was sent at 11.30 am from Lord Avebury to the
New York Times. It was the first regular public radiotelegraphy for news and commercial purposes between Europe & North America.Thereon, Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company Limited offered cheaper and faster wireless communication between Europe and America than what had been available via cable services. Derrygimla provided a natural supply of fuel, the peat bog, which was used to power the complex of commercial operations and staff buildings. A light railway line called the “Marconi Express” transported the peat that was harvested and connected the station to the main road to ferry people, goods and equipment. On the main building, there were eight wooden masts with aerials which were replaced in 1918 by four steel masts. “The station employed 150 permanent staff and about 200 casual staff. Among the permanent staff were 10 engineers, 25 operators and a number of maintenance men, along with 70 local men employed on the turf. The
200 casual staff was employed from February to September cutting and saving the turf, and men walked for miles from all parts of Connemara to take up this work. Large quantities of turf were needed for the boilers.
The majority of the permanent staff were from outside Connemara, some lived in accommodation
provided on the station, others rented accommodation in the locality. These were all skilled men and they were very highly paid. The wages paid to the local employees were also high and this was a great boost to the local economy, and saved many a man from emigration. Derrygimla’s most famous employee was the young operator Jack Phillips.
After working at Derrygimla for three years, Jack requested a transfer and was assigned as senior wireless officer to the S.S. Titanic on her maiden voyage. Jack has gone down in history as being the man who sent out the signal CQD and then SOS distress signal that saved 750 lives. Sadly, he was among the 1,500 lost..
In 1913, a receiving station was built in Letterfrack, 12 miles north of Clifden. The Derrygimla operation continued to transmit messages. The Letterfrack station was not economical and was closed down in 1916.
During the Civil War in 1922, Irish Rebels destroyed the Marconi
Station and it was never rebuilt. Traffic passed to the Caernarvon
station in Wales.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 10/17/1907
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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