Area: Ruan
Started: September 1955
Finished: April 1956
Poles used: 1038
Line used (km): 79
Premises connected: 146
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.
The REO News from June 1956 tells us that Ruan had a very high percentage of rock and scrubland
This digital scan from the REO News displays the following text:
"Ruan Rural Area, Co. Clare.
Mr. F. J. Walsh and his crew in Ruan seem to have had a pretty tough time. It was an area with a very high percentage of rock and scrubland. The Tractor was kept continuously busy and blasting operations were just an everyday occurrence. Large areas were thickly covered with hazel and whitethorn bushes from 6 ft. to 10 ft. high, and it is was frequently necessary to cut through several hundred metres of scrub before pegs could be dropped and lined in. Stringing conductor over this type of country was also difficult.
Final costs were not available at the time of writing the report but it is anticipated that the return will drop.
For such an area a sales figure of £604 seems to be eminently satisfactory and we noted that the total included 7 cookers, 6 pumps, 17 kettles and 15 irons.
A feature of the area was that the larger householders were the most unwilling to take supply, but good work by the Area Organiser, Mr. M. Larkin, aided by the Parish Priest was instrumental in keeping up the standard and the area finished with 60 extra consumers, 22 of which were in the authorised Corofin Extension. The report pays tribute, which we feel is entirely justified, to Supervisor Mr. Whyte, Area Clerk G. Butler and Area Organiser M. Larkin."