Our rural electrification exhibition in the Carlow County Museum ran until April 2017.
The exhibition featured original appliances and farm machinery from the 1940s to 1960s including the electric milking and butter machines photographed above.
Selection of ESB advertising material on display
The exhibition also contained original photographs and artefacts tracing the development of electricity in the county from the installation of Ireland’s first public lighting in Carlow town in 1891, through the roll out of the Rural Electrification Scheme under the supervision of Carlow man PJ Dowling, to the upgrade of the system in the 1990s during the Network Renewal Programme (NRP).
At the official opening of the exhibition on Tuesday 23rd August 2016
The original map used by the rural electrification office showing the 792 areas in the 10 districts
You can find out much more online about rural electrification in Carlow by clicking here.
Carlow County Museum
Carlow County Museum and Tourist Office is located on College Street in Carlow Town, and admission is free. Click here to see location on google maps
Mon-Sat (Jun-Aug):
Sun & Bank Hol (Jun-Aug):
Mon-Sat (Sep-May):
10am-5pm
2pm-4.30pm
10am-4.30pm
Phone (059) 9131554 or email museum@carlowcoco.ie for more information.
We would like to thank all those who helped in assembling this exhibition, particularly: Dermot Mulligan, Curator of the Carlow County Museum and his staff; Designer and Printer Doug Poole & Adrian Mc Donnell, Jones Business Systems; Máire Uí Iarnáin, Seirbhís Ghairmiúil Aistriúcháin; Bernard O’Connell, Manager in ESB Customer Services, Tipperary; and the Corbett Family for the use of a number of photographs.
Dairy equipment display with thanks to Bernard O’Connell and photograph by ESB©2016 Kevin Byrne Photography