ESB Networks acknowledges the continuity of supply issues experienced by some customers in south County Clare in recent months and apologises for the disruption caused. We can confirm that a significant upgrade of this section of the local network is currently underway.
This upgrade - with an investment of €200,000 - will strengthen the local electricity network, improve network resilience, ensure more protection against severe weather events and overall, provide a better quality of service for all our customers in Sixmilebridge and surrounding areas.
The upgrade involves replacing 35 electricity poles along the route of the power line, many of which have been damaged caused by woodpecker activity. Our crews are installing composite poles in place of the existing wooden structures, which are not susceptible to this type of activity and will strengthen the resilience of the network locally.
We are also conducting essential timber-cutting and vegetation-clearing works along the corridor of the power line. This work is necessary to remove trees and other obstacles that may impact the power line and affect the reliability of electricity supply in the area. Additionally, harvesting services have been procured to create clear pathways along the power line. These corridors will reduce the chance of trees falling onto the lines during storms, which is one of the biggest causes of power cuts/faults.
This work has begun and is expected to finish by mid‑summer. Further planned outages will be required to safely complete the work. Customers will receive advance notice of any interruptions, and outages are being carefully scheduled and staggered to minimise disruption as much as possible.
We apologise for the inconvenience and thank customers in Sixmilebridge and surrounding areas for their patience and cooperation. These works will deliver improved reliability and continuity of supply for the area into the future.