ESB is once again opening the gates of the historic Ardnacrusha Power Station to schools and the general public for a unique visitor experience into Ireland’s first national hydro-electric station in Co. Clare.
ESB first began facilitating tours from the general public in June 1928 and welcomed over 85,000 visitors within the first nine months., ESB is delighted to revive this tradition last year to mark 90 years since its foundation, and are running dedicated school and public tours during the summer months.
School group visits are being facilitated from are from 14 May to 29 June 2018, while public tours run from 2 July to 14 September 2018. The guided tours can accommodate groups of up to 30 people and runs for approximately 90 minutes. All bookings can be made online on www.esb.ie.
Visitors are welcomed to the Ardnacrusha Experience at the newly refurbished visitors’ centre before going out on site to view the impressive headrace canal, locks and tailrace. Once inside the station, the living heritage of Shannon Scheme is brought to life through a series of animations which celebrate the history and impact of this iconic project. Visitors are given access to the very heart of the station with unique views of the turbine hall and a visit to the original control room.
ESB’s Alan Bane, Plant Manager at Ardnacrusha says: “The Ardnacrusha Experience and the guided tour of the station tells the story of the power of electricity and its transformative impact on Irish life. It has been a source of great pride to everyone who works here to open our gates once again to the general public. Last year, to celebrate ESB’s 90th anniversary, we welcomed over 10,000 visitors from far and wide and we are delighted to build on this success. We look forward to welcoming all those with an interest in engineering, history and heritage for pre-booked visits over the summer.”
See a collection of photos and videos from the ESB Archive here.
Listen here for a radio package from Clare FM about the Ardnacrusha plant.