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VALENTIA , an island now linked to the mainland by bridge, is Europe's most westerly harbour, and standing at Bray Head on the island's tip, there's nothing but ocean between you and Newfoundland, 1900 miles away. Valentia's significance is out of all proportion to its size: the first ever transatlantic telegraph cable was laid from here in 1857 - though permanent contact wasn't established until 1866 - and for years it had better communications with New York than with Dublin. In contrast to the endless vistas west, the island itself is small, and consequently every scrap of land has been cultivated, forming a rolling patchwork of fields stitched with dry slate walls. Valentia's position in the Gulf Stream gives it a mild, balmy climate, and the abundance of fuchsias grown by the inhabitants in local hedgerows enhances its domesticated atmosphere. It's a homely, tame place to stay, though from July onwards the peace is disturbed by tourists
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