| 05 May 2009
In 1919, John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown made aviation history by making the first non stop transatlantic flight from St John's Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland. Connemara will celebrate the 90th anniversary of this event with walks, talks, exhibits and a spectacular FREE AIR SHOW IN CLIFDEN on Saturday June 13th, 2009 at 2pm.
Today we take transatlantic travel for granted, but in 1919, these men undertook a dangerous, life-threatening trip which in time opened the skies for us all. In honouring these men, we are recognising our vast cultural and historical connection to a time where Connemara played a significant part on a worldwide stage of firsts in aviation and radio transmission.
Imagine for a moment the hub of activity that was Connemara 90 years ago when these two men literally dropped from the sky into the bog, and were able to send a message from Marconi’s wireless radio station to inform London they had made it across the Atlantic, thus assuring themselves their rightful place in history.
This weekend celebrating one of the most significant early achievements in aviation is a must for all aviation and history buffs and promises to be a great family day out. We hope you can come and share in the fun, live the history and enjoy a stay in one of the truly spectacular areas of the world, Connemara.
Log onto Clifden.ie for accommodation offers and other services available throughout the festival.