Farewell to 2000 years of service at Great Island

On friday, March 9th a function was held in the Brandon House Hotel to celebrate 40 years of operation of Great Island Power Station and to mark the occasion of the transfer of the station and the staff to Endesa Ireland. The event was attended by Padraig McManus, ESB Chief Executive, Pat O’Doherty, Executive Director Power Generation, Tom McMahon, Employee Relations Manager, Power Generation, Davy Naughton, Chairman of the ESB Group of Unions and John Ryder of Unite. The guests were welcomed to the dinner by Padraig Dunleavy, Station Manager who paid tribute to current and former staff and their families and to staff members who could not attend the function as they were on shift in the station on the night.

Collectively the staff group in Great Island have over 2000 years of service between them. The station, was officially opened in 1968, but preliminary work had begun in 1963 at around the time JFK was making a visit to his ancestral home in the Wexford area. Many people who worked on the construction subsequently came into employment in the station. Unit 3 was commissioned in 1972.

In the more than 40 years of operation the station generated over 30 million MWhrs and consumed 8 million tonnes of fuel oil. The most significant aspect of all of this, and it is a tribute to those who built and operated the station, is that after 40 years in use all 3 units are still fully serviceable and in good condition.