A number of years ago there was major discontent at Eirgrid (Ireland’s power transmission operator) plans to carry more cables on overground pylons over the Great Island. These extra power lines carry power from Aghada to the national grid. The immenent opening of the ESB new gas powered station at Aghada and the new Bord Gais facility at Whitegate means that 25% of power for the national grid will come from the area. Eventually (after major portests by the people of the Harbour area) the Eirgrid compromised and agreed to lead the cables underwater from Aghada to Cobh and underground to a switching station on the western side of the island. Besides the Aghada- Cuskinny cable there are also plans to lay a cable, largely underwater, from Whitegate on the eastern shore to Rafeen on the western shore.

 

The Norwegian ship, “MV Elektron”, was here to lay the cable for a one and a half mile stretch from Aghada on the south side of Cork Harbour to Cuskinny Bay on the Great Island on the north side of the harbour. The cable would then go in an underground trench following the “Tay Road” which cuts the Great Island from Cuskinny Bay to Carrigaloe.

 

The cable ship and crew came to Cork Harbour following an assignment in the far east. The ship was complete with crew, cables, floats, cranes and even its own fleet of workboats for towing the floats with the cable attached. Local skippers and crew were used to drive the workboats and they were ferried to the site from Cobh each day.

 

The ship anchored in the Eastern Channel off Aghada and each cable was laid in two stages- firstly from the ship to Cuskinny and then from the ship to Aghada. Each stage took one day – so two days for each cable. Four cables were laid and the work was done in just over a week – apparently at a cost of half a million! When a cable was laid it was first floated off the ship and towed, supported with floats, to its destination and brought ashore. The cable was then freed from the floats and lowered to the seabed. W hen the final section was brought ashore in Aghada we were sailing in the vicinity and could hear the ship playing loud music in celebration!