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 more than 85,000 visitors within the first nine months. ESB revived the tradition last year to mark 90 years since its foundation, and is running dedicated school and public tours during the summer months.
School group visits are being facilitated from May 14 to June 22, 2018, while public tours run from June 25 to September 14, 2018. The guided tours can accommodate groups of up to 30 people and run 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.
The story of the power of electricity and its transformative impact
ESB’s Alan Bane, plant manager at Ardnacrusha, said: “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 more than 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.”
View the Ardnacrusha Experience video:
[embed]https://youtu.be/IprKa-hRsKI[/embed]