It was the delivery of a visionary energy project which showed that our fragile new State could stand on its own two feet. Ireland’s first government put everything it had behind a plan from a young Irish engineer to electrify the country with power from the river Shannon. The Ardnacrusha hydroelectric plant was completed within seven years, in 1929, and the original turbines are still turning today.
That government must have been inspired by what happened in Valentia Island back in 1866 when, after three failed attempts, a telegraphic cable was first landed to connect Europe and the United States, cutting intercontinental communication times from weeks down to minutes.
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.