ESB to improve Kildare service
KILDARE, 3 February 2002: by Bill Trapman. The ESB is to replace a number of spans of power cable in the Tully/Newtown/Tully West/Shanacloon/Fennor area near Kildare Town, in order to help deal with an unusual number of power supply interruptions which have occurred in the area.
There was a lengthy interruption of power in this area, affecting over 290 houses, on Christmas Eve last, and a further interruption on January 23.
“Over the years, interruptions in power supplies have been much more frequent in that area than in adjoining areas,” says Deputy Alan Dukes, who got in touch with the ESB on the matter. “Larger fuses have now been fitted so that the Christmas Eve fault should not recur. The interruption in supply on January 23 was due to a fallen steel wire line. Eight spans of steel wire in the immediate locality had been found to be rotten.”
The ESB points out that it will be necessary to have a further planned interruption of supply to carry out this work. There were a number of interruptions of supply in the last 12 months as the ESB had to do a considerable amount of work associated with moving power lines for the Kildare By-Pass. Work in that area is now complete.
In September last, an individual gained access to a JCB on the by-pass site and went on a rampage, knocking out a number of ESB lines. The interruptions lasted for almost a full day.
The ESB currently plans to re-build the original ESB 38 kB sub-station in Kildare Town to increase capacity.
©2002knn