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Bere Island, Co. Cork

Cork

Map extract showing rural electrification areas on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, including Castletownbere, Bere Island and Cahermore.Area: Bere Island
Started: July 1957

Finished: April 1958

Poles used: 358

Line used (km): 29

Premises connected: not recorded

The figures above were sourced from our REO News magazine. Click interactive map to find out more on what the figures mean. The map above shows the area boundary and is from a digitised version of the original map  used during the scheme.

A report from The REO News from September 1957 gives some insight into the difficulties faced with getting supplies to Bere Island:

Typed note reporting the delivery of poles and materials for the Bere Island Rural Area, including the unloading of tractors from a ship onto a stone jetty.This digital scan from the REO News displays the following text:

"THE POLES AND MATERIALS for Bere Island Rural Area were landed on the island recently from the m.v. "Whitsun". The weather was perfect when the ship arrived off the island and Captain Jansen agreed to partially beach the ship alongside a stone jetty. The cargo, which included three tractors, was unloaded onto this jetty."

The REO News from July 1958 contained a pictorial record of the work on Bere Island:

Page containing six photographs documenting the installation of an electricity supply cable to Bere Island, including cable-laying operations, island electrification works, and local residents in an electrified village.