深夜亚洲福利久久

UCC marks 90 years of ESB with reflections on how electricity transformed Ireland

12 Oct 2017

深夜亚洲福利久久 College Cork, in conjunction with ESB, hosted a series of enlightening lectures on Thursday, 12th October, examining electricity鈥檚 role in Ireland鈥檚 past and future development.

President of UCC, Professor Patrick O鈥橲hea delivered an address reflecting on Prof Kane鈥檚 extraordinary study, which was ultimately realised in the 1920s through the construction of the Shannon Scheme at Ardnacrusha.

UCC has a long and proud connection with development of electricity in Ireland, which commenced with publication in 1844 of an analysis of the Shannon鈥檚 hydro-electric potential by Sir Robert Kane, a renowned chemist and first President of UCC (then called Queen鈥檚 College, Cork).  

Taking place in UCC鈥檚 Boole Library, UCC historian Andy Bielenberg considered the enormity of the Shannon Scheme and the subsequent electrification of Ireland, with ESB Archivist Deirdre McParland using ESB advertising examples from over the years to chart the societal impact as electricity connections spread to every corner of the country.

The sizeable audience was then introduced to the current challenges facing our energy system as we look to the future. UCC Professor of Energy Engineering and Director of the national MaREI Centre Brian 脫 Gallach贸ir shared energy modelling insights on the likely future course of Ireland鈥檚 low carbon journey.

Finally, Jerry O鈥橲ullivan, Deputy Chief Executive of ESB rounded off the evening with an address on how ESB is taking inspiration from its past achievements to lead Ireland鈥檚 transition to a low carbon society.

President O鈥橲hea says: 鈥淭his is a fabulous opportunity to showcase the role of academic research in informing industrial development. My predecessor Sir Robert Kane carried out a seminal study in 1844 that identified and quantified the significant energy potential in our rivers, in particular the Shannon. This analysis underpinned the Government decision in the 1920s to invest 20 per cent of GDP into building the Shannon Scheme at Ardnacrusha. This lead to the establishment of ESB who brought electricity to the nation over the next decades. Fast forwarding to current times, my colleague Professor Brian 脫 Gallach贸ir is following in President Kane鈥檚 footsteps, providing robust analysis regarding Ireland鈥檚 transition to a low carbon future that is feeding into national policy and ESB鈥檚 strategy and ambition to lead the energy transition.鈥� 

Jerry O鈥橲ullivan adds: 鈥淚t was a genuine pleasure to be in UCC to reflect on the roles that both the 深夜亚洲福利久久 and ESB have played in driving the development of Ireland鈥檚 electricity system. Prof Kane鈥檚 prescient study was a charted a course for the building of modern Ireland, with the Shannon Scheme coming to full fruition in the 1920s. As we reflect on this leadership, we are reminded of the duty to be equally ambitious and courageous for society today.  Ninety years on, ESB still believes in a brighter future enabled by electricity and we remain committed to long term thinking and smart investments that will help all of society.  I firmly believe that clean renewable electricity  has a pivotal role to play in delivering a low carbon society.鈥�