Clonshaugh, Ireland

Clonshaugh, Ireland: Submarine Cable Landing Point

Clonshaugh is a landing point on the Irish coast, serving as a termination point for international submarine cable infrastructure connecting Ireland to the broader European network. As a submarine cable landing point, Clonshaugh participates in the short but strategically positioned corridor between Ireland and the United Kingdom, two closely linked nations separated by the Irish Sea. One submarine cable currently lands at Clonshaugh, linking it directly to the United Kingdom.

The single cable landing at Clonshaugh, the Emerald Bridge Fibres system, represents a short cross-sea connection that enables direct data transmission between Ireland and the United Kingdom. At 120 kilometres in length, the system reflects the relatively compact geographic separation between the two countries, while still requiring purpose-built submarine infrastructure to deliver reliable connectivity across open water.

Cables Landing at Clonshaugh

Emerald Bridge Fibres is a submarine cable system measuring 120 kilometres in length, with a ready-for-service date of 2012. The cable connects Ireland and the United Kingdom, with Clonshaugh serving as the Irish landing point. The system was listed with draft status at the time of its readiness for service, indicating it was progressing through its deployment phase. No additional technical specifications, such as capacity or fiber pair count, are recorded for this cable.

Regional Context

Within Ireland, Clonshaugh sits alongside a number of other submarine cable landing points, including Dublin, which hosts three cables and represents the most connected landing point in the country, and Kilmore Quay, which serves two cables. Clonshaugh shares the single-cable tier with Ballinesker, Ballygrangans, Castlefreke, and Cork, each of which also hosts one submarine cable. This positions Clonshaugh as one of several smaller landing points that collectively broaden the geographic spread of Ireland's submarine cable infrastructure beyond its primary hub.

Network Role

Clonshaugh functions as a single-cable terminus, providing a direct point-to-point submarine link between Ireland and the United Kingdom via the Emerald Bridge Fibres system. The Ireland–United Kingdom corridor it serves is one of the most active connectivity pathways in the region, reflecting the close economic and communications ties between the two countries. Rather than acting as a multi-cable hub, Clonshaugh contributes a dedicated route that adds diversity to the overall set of cross-Irish-Sea connections.

In the broader submarine cable graph of Ireland and the surrounding region, Clonshaugh represents one node among several Irish landing points that together distribute connectivity across different coastal locations. Its presence as a distinct landing point, separate from the more heavily served Dublin, ensures that Ireland's submarine cable infrastructure is not concentrated at a single coastal location, adding geographic breadth to the country's external connectivity.