Area: Castlelyons
Started: June 1954
Finished: November 1954
Poles used: 1238
Line used (km): 111
Premises connected: 140
The figures above were sourced from our REO News magazine, to learn more about what these figures mean, visit our interactive map. The map above shows the area boundary and is from a digitised version of the original map used during the scheme.
There was excellent trout fishing in Castlelyons according to The REO News from February 1955.
This digital scan from the REO News displays the following text:
"Castlelyons Rural Area, Co. Cork: Castlelyons Area, we learn from Mr. F. Calnan’s Report, lies on both sides of the River Bride for a distance of about five miles, and the residents boast that it contains some of the finest land in Munster in addition to the excellent trout fishing. The principal villages, Castlelyons, Rathcormack, and Brides Bridge, had supply already extended to them before the development of the Rural Area and it was noted that two H.D.S. insulators formed a decoration on the pillars of a gateway leading to a Board of Health cottage.
One of the backbone lines constructed formed the last link of the three‑phase interconnection between the 38 kV stations at Fermoy and Dungarvan.
Originally, the area was designed to pick up 320 consumers with a revenue of £2,132 and a total cost of £32,500. This number included 34 houses already supplied, mostly in the village of Brides Bridge. New consumers actually connected amounted to 308 with fixed charge revenue of £2,160 and a nett cost of £33,000.
The demonstration was a reasonable success, the Film “No Hand‑stripping” being particularly of interest. However, as the people of the area were already familiar with electricity, there was not the same keen interest in the appliances on show.
In spite of heavy competition from local contractors and from the Co‑Op. itself, the Area Organiser, Mr. D. O’Regan, had a very respectable sales total of £1,338. Principal items include:–
6 Pumps
10 Cookers
2 Grain Grinders
1 Grain Drier
2 Washing Machines
3 Welders
4 Burco Boilers
Many local people were disappointed when arrangements for an official “Switch‑On” did not come to fruition."