Marconi's Cottage Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Marconi's Cottage near Ballycastle - The birthplace of
wireless radio communication in 1898
Take the A2 coast road from Ballycastle Town, past the Golf Course,
and take the first left onto Carrickmore Road and follow it until
you find another left turn, adjacent to Maguires Strand Caravan
Park, continue to the end of this road where you will find a car
park at the far side of which is Marconi's Cottage.
Guglielmo Marconi was born in Bolgna Italy in 1874 to an Italian
father and an Irish mother - his motherr was Anne Jamieson whose
family owned the Jameson Whiskey Distillery in County
Wexford.
His work on Rathlin Island and in Ballycastle covered a relatively
short period between June and September 1898. His experimental work
was carried out along with his assistant George Kemp and by John
Cecil - a Rathlin islander whose family still live on the
island.
Marconi and his assistants resided in the cottage which is now
known as Marconi Cottage. This was the base for the pioneering work
which culminated in him sending one of the first in the world,
wireless communications across sea in 1898.
A mast was erected at the East Lighthouse on Rathlin Island and
another mast at 'White House' near the coal yards (where the
present ferry terminal car park is situated).
From here, the first wireless transmission and reception of radio
signals took place.
Marconi went on to develop short wave radio, the basis for most
long distance radio communication before satellite. His greatest
achievement arguably was the aid that his work created for
shipping, namely the ability to send 'wireless' distress signals
which led to the saving of hundreds of thousands of lives at sea.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1909.
The cache site is located along the coastal path a few hundred
metres beyond the cottage, heading East, towards Fair Head.
Keep to the low level path (wear boots - it
can be muddy near the start at times) until turning 90 degrees
up the hill.From the elevated cache site clear views can be
seen of the path of these early communications from Rathlin Island,
Marconi Cottage and Ballycastle Harbour.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Jnyx nybat pbnfgny cngu. Pnpur vf hc fgrrc onax gbjneqf pyvssf. Ybbx bhg sbe n ynetr obhyqre naq Tbefr ohfurf.