Waterville, County Kerry

Infobox Irish Place
name = Waterville
gaeilge = An Coireán
motto = "The Little Whirlpool"
map

pin coords = left: 33px; top: 108px
north coord = 51.827583
west coord = 10.172181
irish grid = V499659
area =
elevation =
province = Munster
county = County Kerry
town pop = 538
rural pop =
census yr = 2002
web =
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on the west, and the Currane River connecting the two.

The town's name in Irish refers to the river in the case of "The Little Whirlpool", or "The Sickle" refers to the shape of Ballinskelligs Bay on which the town sits; the name however has been transplanted onto the lake with the 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. The town that developed on the estate during the first half of the 19th century was also named Waterville. Coincidentally Cyrus Field was a native of Waterville City, Maine, USA. It was he who decided to locate a cable station of his Commercial Cable Company in the village in the 1880's. The town grew further with arrival the Cable Station. The N70 Ring of Kerry route passes through the town.Waterville has a population of 538 (CSO 2002).

History

The first successful transatlantic cable was finally laid after a number of attempts in 1865 by the Anglo American Telegraph Company between Heartscontent in Newfoundland and Valentia Island which is close to Waterville. In the 1880s Cyrus Field's Commercial Cable Company laid their first Transatlantic telegraph cable from Waterville to Canso, Nova Scotia. The Old Cable House is still standing in the Cable Station.

People

*The town was a favorite holiday spot of Charlie Chaplin and his family. There is a statue of him in the centre of the village in his memory.
*It is the home of Mick O'Dwyer, footballer and former Kerry Gaelic football manager in the 1970s and 1980s.

port

*Waterville Golf links was recently voted the 5th best golf course in UK and Ireland.
*The newly opened Skellig's Bay Golf Club has been listed as 67th in the same vote.
*Waterville GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club. The club was recently completely rebuilt, and now even includes a gym.

ee also

* List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

External links

* [http://www.waterville-insight.com Waterville - Ring of Kerry]