A €30m transatlantic telecoms project - linking Ireland and North America - has got underway.

A massive fibre-optic cable was brought ashore last week as part of the cross-border governments' Project Kevin.

Hibernia Atlantic, the company appointed to deliver the Kelvin project, pulled the telecoms cable ashore at Portrush.

Both the Irish and Stormont energy departments have joined forces on the scheme, which is being financed by the EU.

Welcoming this milestone, Energy Minister Eamon Ryan said: "The nature of communications is developing apace and we must be a part of this.

"Today, Ireland links into a new international communications network. This will facilitate fast, low-cost communications which will allow us to connect and compete internationally. It will help to secure our future economic successes, attracting inward investment and creating new jobs."

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The Kelvin international telecommunications cable will be connected by high capacity fibre to Letterkenny, Monaghan, Castleblayney, Dundalk and Drogheda, and it will also have points of presence in several locations across the border.

Mr Ryan's Northern Ireland counterpart Arlene Foster said: "This is an historic milestone for both Northern Ireland and for Project Kelvin. The new cable will connect Northern Ireland, for the first time, directly to North America and greatly improve connectivity with Europe.

"When combined with the new terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure, currently under construction across Northern Ireland, it will put us at the heart of the global economy.

"In these difficult economic times, telecommunications has an important role to play both in helping our companies continue to compete, and in providing access to new and emerging markets, in preparation for the upturn in the world economy."

(PR/JM)