Public interest was encouraged, with bus and train tours to the site. Despite a major labour dispute, a penalty clause in the contracts ensured that work was completed on time in , with only a comparatively minor budget overrun.
The centrepiece of the Shannon Scheme remains the impressive generating station at Ardnacrusha, a steel-framed building designed to house six massive turbines. Ultimately, only four turbines were installed: three of the vertical shaft type patented by James Bicheno Francis —92 , and one of the vertical shaft type developed by Viktor Kaplan — Interestingly, the role played by Siemens-Schukertwerke in the scheme appears to have influenced the appearance of the station, the remarkably high-pitched roof with rows of miniature dormer windows exhibiting a marked Germanic character.
At the time of completion, the station at Ardnacrusha had the distinction of being the largest hydroelectric station in the world, although that title would quickly be conceded to the Boulder Dam, latterly known as the Hoover Dam, begun in Its importance in supporting the economy of a new independent Ireland cannot be overstated, with the generating station intrinsically linked to rural electrification from the s onwards.
The success of the station attracted international interest and it was adopted as a model for similar electrification projects across the world. Above: Milar Magrath—a supreme opportunist. Login Subscribe To renew a subscription please login first.
Visitor Information: ESB welcomes visitors to Ardnacrusha power station for pre-booked tours only max. The site is not accessible for visitors without appointment. About us. Still Here for You! Construction work in Ardnacrusha. The German company Siemens was behind the build and around 1, German and 4, Irish workers were involved in the construction phase between and As well as the station, canals were constructed along the River Shannon, spanned by four new bridges.
Plus, a system of culverts and sluices were also constructed to increase the fall in water levels between Lough Derg and the Shannon. The waters of the River Shannon were harnessed at the Ardnacrusha dam. Then, workers on the project built a network to electricity across the country from the new power station.
As well as this, other projects around the world looked to Ardnacrusha when building their own power stations — it was a reference site for the Tennessee Valley project in the US. Another former taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave, was also at Ardnacrusha on that day. It was significant as he was at the official opening of the station by his father WT Cosgrave on 29 July as a young boy.
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