This weekend marks the 70th anniversary of the ESB Rural Electrification Scheme which brought electricity to rural Ireland for the first time.
‘The Quiet Revolution’ of widespread electricity usage, which transformed the lives of those living in rural Ireland, has been described by author Michael Shiel as “the greatest social and economic revolution in rural Ireland since the Land War”.
Before and after rural electrification. Source: esbarchives.ie
To mark the historic event, ESB have uploaded all of the information and materials relating to the Rural Electrification Scheme on their website. You can view these fascinating stories, interactive maps, and information on those who campaigned for the scheme by clicking here.
In the days of the newly formed Irish free state in the 1920s, insufficient funding was available to extend electricity to rural Ireland.
Although the Shannon Scheme illuminated 240,000 towns and cities, 400,000 rural homes were left without power.
J.A. Walsh anecdote. ESB Journal January 1959. Source: esbarchives.ie
In the late 1930s and early 1940s, plans began to be put in place for rural electrification. However, with the outbreak of World War Two, the work did not begin until the war ended in 1945.
When was your area connected? Zoom in on the map below and simply click your area to see when it was connected, how many premises were connected, and even how many kilometers of cable were used!
ESB has also released these advertisements from the 1960s which give us a glimpse of how electricity revolutionised life in the 1960s, particularly within the domestic sphere.
For more click here.
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