Big power boost as Mayo prepares to enter 'modern world'

Construction work on the long-awaited North Connacht 110 kV project is due to commence in January, EirGrid has confirmed.

It will be the first electricity cable circuit in the western region to be laid underground with approximately 50km of the 59km line located in Mayo.

The infrastructure, which runs from Ballina to Ballaghaderreen and bypasses Knockmore, Foxford, Swinford and Charlestown, will, when energised in 2028, provide power for 150,000 homes and link into the county's growing renewable energy supply. It will strengthen the grid in Mayo, providing capacity to meet increasing demand.

Mayo's current electricity grid is not fit to manage the existing flow of energy, a factor regarded as a serious waste of resources.

Elected representatives in the county have been briefed on the project by EirGrid's community liaison officer for the Connacht/Munster region, Eoghan O'Sullivan, and other senior officials.

The engineering, procurement and construction contract has been awarded for the project which will impact on 37 private landowners.

Meanwhile, EirGrid has established a community benefit fund of just over €1.5 million. It is designed to provide direct benefits to community groups and voluntary organisations located or operating within a 2km zone of the proposed cable line.

A portion of the fund (€510,000) will be available for applications before the end of this year, with applications opening again in 2027 and 2028.

Ballina Councillor John O'Hara said the line is badly needed and he praised the EirGrid team for the way they conducted negotiations with landowners.

“No one is giving out,” he said, “and that is a sign of a good project.

"A lot of people don't realise that it's like putting a motorway into a community. The line brings electricity both ways. So any area without a proper supply now will be able to get it within the coming years.

"It's about making our county better. Never has this infrastructure been more needed than it is now when you consider all the electric cars, data centres and so on. To live in a modern world, we need it.”

The senior engineer of Ballina Municipal District, Orla Bourke, noted that the line will have a big impact when it is delivered.

In the intervening period, however, there will be some disruption in terms of road closures, but it will be managed well.

As previously reported in The Connaught Telegraph, there are numerous wind farms seeking to connect to the line once the capacity becomes available.