Power to the people

It really was a case of power to the people back in 1952 when the River Erne Generating Stations at Cliff and Cathaleen’s Fall, Ballyshannon began to flow into the county.

Now an exhibition documenting the construction and history of the Erne Scheme is now on display in Donegal County Museum in Letterkenny as part of the ESB’s 70th anniversary of this major development.

On Wednesday, October 10, 1952, the Erne Stations were officially opened by Tánaiste Seán Lemass and they continue to play an important role in ESB’s transformative drive to achieve Net Zero by 2040.

The exhibition features over 100 photographs, selected by ESB Archives, on the themes of heritage and looking to the future and rarely seen paintings that were commissioned by the ESB to capture the construction of the scheme.

In the turbine hall of Cathleen's Falls power station, Ballyshannon shortly after the installation of the machinery (l-r): Dick Everett, Kevin Scally, three German workers, Jim Gallagher and James Boyle

The River Erne hydroelectric stations were constructed between 1946 and 1955 and at this time the project was the largest construction project in Europe. Cliff can generate enough power to supply over 12,000 homes while Cathleen’s Fall can deliver power for around 26,000 homes.

A major refurbishment programme was carried out between 2009 and 2016, ensuring the stations will continue to play an important role to provide clean electricity in line with ESB’s Net Zero strategy.

“Since being commissioned, the Erne Stations have ensured ESB has been a mainstay in the local community. We are proud to be deeply embedded in South Donegal and as we look forward to how the stations can continue to play a role in ESB’s future, it is important to recognise what has been achieved here over the last 70 years.” John Gallagher, ESB Plant Manager Erne Stations

The exhibition runs until January 2023 and admission is free.