Alternate name: Pigeon House A
County: Dublin
Fuel type: Oil
Capacity: 90MW
Status: Inactive
First commissioned: pre-ESB, 1903
Acquired by ESB: 28 March 1929
Decommissioned: 1976

Pigeon House was built in the late eighteenth century. It was named after its owner, Mr Pigeon, and was originally used as a hotel. The foundation stone of Pigeon House Generating Station was laid by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, TC Harrington, on 10 February 1902, and it first produced electricity in July 1903, at a capacity of 3MW. The station was run by the Dublin Corporation Lighting Committee, until it was acquired by ESB in 1929. The station was redeveloped as the twentieth century progressed, until it eventually reached a generation capacity of 90MW.

ESB Journal, 1960

In 1965, ESB built a new generating station on the site beside Pigeon House, known today as Poolbeg station, named after the Poolbeg lighthouse situated at the entrance to the Dublin port. Pigeon House was later decommissioned in 1976.

Click the images to the left and below for more information relating to the history of Pigeon House station.

Pigeon House Power Station from book “A Heritage Inventory of ESB Buildings in Ireland”