The table below lists the 43 rural areas in Co Limerick in the order they were connected – for example, Patrickswell was the 3^rd rural area in Ireland out of 792 to receive electricity under the scheme.This table also includes 4 rural areas that cross Limerick’s county boundaries: Kilcommon/Kilcommin, Birdhill and Toor, Co Tipperary; and Mitchelstown, Co Cork.

To view the original map used to plan the Limerick rural areas, click here.

Click on the links below to read more about each rural area

Shipping the poles

As we can see from the table above, the roll out of the scheme required the transport of over million poles all over the island of Ireland. Due to material shortages in the wake of WWII, the vast majority of these were sourced from Finland. You can read more about this process in an article written in ESB Journal by Peter Conroy, Divisional Accountant, here, and through the photographic collection of Stevedore Jerry Corbett.

Peter Conroy on Limerick quays with the first ever pole boat

For more information on the roll out of the Rural Electrification Scheme, click here, or browse our top rural electrification stories here.