IRIS: Dublin becomes Iceland's Closest Neighbour with a Digital Bridge
A 1,700 km subsea cable delivering Iceland’s first direct connection to Ireland, linking Thorlakshofn to Galway and establishing a new gateway to Europe’s digital infrastructure.
Project Overview
In 1858, the first transatlantic telegraph cable linking London and New York was routed through Ireland, establishing the country as an intercontinental communications hub. Over 160 years later, Ireland continues this legacy with IRIS, the first direct subsea fiber optic connection between Ireland and Iceland.
Commissioned by Farice (Iceland’s government-owned telecommunications provider), IRIS is a 1,700 km cable linking Thorlakshofn, on Iceland’s south coast to Ballyloughnane beach in Galway Bay. For Iceland, this represents more than new infrastructure; it’s strategic digital autonomy. The cable makes Dublin Iceland’s nearest digital neighbor, providing direct access to European markets without routing through other countries.
For Ireland, IRIS strengthens Galway’s position as a network hub with established terrestrial connectivity to Dublin itself, a major European network center. As Minister, Eamon Ryan noted at the 2022 cable landing ceremony: “IRIS provides the essential factors needed by businesses to compete globally and attract investment.”
MDM was appointed to deliver full lifecycle engineering and project management services for IRIS, including route development, environmental surveys, permitting, Irish landfall coordination, and installation supervision. MDM continues to provide ongoing Operations & Maintenance, ensuring the reliability of this critical Ireland-Iceland link.
Challenge: Engineering Resilience in the North Atlantic
Delivering IRIS required engineering a subsea route between Galway and Thorlakshofn, which crosses the North Atlantic seabed. Deep-water conditions exceeding 1,500 metres, severe weather systems and limited installation windows demanded careful planning. As Tom McMahon of MDM explains:
“We looked at every part of the seabed to make sure there were no wrecks, artefacts, reefs or other important environmental locations along the route. We also looked for places where there was heightened risk of cuts to the cable, such as where there are lots of boulders or trawlers fishing on the ocean floor.”
Compounding these challenges, Iceland’s position on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge introduces seismic and volcanic considerations unique to the region. For Iceland’s growing data centre industry and 380,000 residents, international connectivity is critical national infrastructure.
The challenge was not simply to deploy another cable, but to deliver a secure, high-capacity backbone capable of withstanding environmental extremes while strengthening long-term digital resilience for both Iceland and Ireland.
Our Solution:
MDM delivered full lifecycle engineering and project management for IRIS, managing route design, environmental impact assessment, permitting in Ireland, landfall coordination, and installation supervision. Working with Farice and international partners, we developed engineering solutions that balanced North Atlantic conditions with environmental stewardship and long-term reliability.
Environmental & Route Engineering
Detailed seabed surveys informed route optimisation across the 1,700 km corridor, avoiding environmentally sensitive areas, archaeological sites and high-risk seabed conditions. The refined alignment reduced exposure to fishing activity and geological hazards while minimising environmental impact.
Invisible Beach Landing
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) at Ballyloughnane beach created a concealed subsea transition from land to sea, preserving the natural shoreline while enhancing cable protection. The installation was completed within one week and remains fully invisible.
Strategic Landing Selection
Thorlakshofn and Galway were selected to optimise proximity to Iceland’s data centre ecosystem and Ireland’s secure terrestrial connectivity into Dublin. The route strengthens Iceland’s European gateway while ensuring integration with established network hubs.
Ongoing Operations & Maintenance
Continuous monitoring and operational oversight support stable long-term performance across the North Atlantic corridor, reinforcing reliability for critical Icelandic and Irish infrastructure.
Key Features of the IRIS System
IRIS is more than a subsea connection; it is a strategic digital artery linking Iceland and Ireland with world-class performance. Combining high-density fiber architecture with a focus on environmental responsibility, the system sets a new standard for capacity and speed in the region. Below are the core technical pillars that make IRIS a vital link for modern connectivity:
To put this in perspective, this is enough bandwidth to stream approximately 4.32 million Ultra-HD (4K) videos simultaneously. It represents a massive leap in connectivity for the North Atlantic region.
Spanning from Thorlakshofn on the south coast of Iceland to Galway in Ireland, this is the first direct link between the two nations, significantly reducing the “digital distance” (latency) between them.
The cable utilises six pairs of high-capacity optical fibers. By using multiple pairs, the system ensures both massive throughput and the ability to offer dedicated pathways for different types of data traffic.
The IRIS cable provides one of the fastest round-trip timing (RTT) paths between Iceland and Ireland. In the world of high-frequency trading and real-time cloud computing, those milliseconds are the difference between “instant” and “delayed.”
The MDM Results
Since entering service in 2022, IRIS has strengthened North Atlantic connectivity for both Iceland and Ireland, reinforcing each nation’s role in Europe’s digital infrastructure.
Ireland’s Digital Gateway Strengthened:
Building on its long history as a communications hub, IRIS enhances Galway’s position within Europe’s core network architecture.
Iceland’s European Access Secured:
Direct connectivity to Ireland and onward European hubs supports Iceland’s growing data centre and technology sectors.
Supporting Critical Industries:
Resilient, low-latency infrastructure underpins Ireland’s ICT and pharmaceutical sectors and Iceland’s expanding digital economy.
Responsible Infrastructure Delivery:
Minimal seabed impact and invisible landfall solutions demonstrate environmentally conscious project execution.
Long-Term Operational Continuity:
Ongoing Operations & Maintenance ensures sustained reliability across this critical North Atlantic corridor.
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