Swinford set for ‘considerable disruption’ from electricity cable works

SWINFORD will experience ‘considerable disruption’ from scheduled works on a major piece of electricity infrastructure.

A number of roads will be closed in the East Mayo town to facilitate the construction of the North Connacht 110kv interconnector.

The new underground electricity cable will connect two substations in Ballina and Tonroe and will represent a major upgrade to the region’s energy infrastructure.

Work in the Swinford section of the new interconnector will take approximately six months and will commence in mid-to late 2025.

Councillors from the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District voiced concerns regarding the potential disruption in Swinford when they were addressed by ESB and Eirgrid representatives at their February meeting.

Cllr Adrian Forkan said the closure of roads in Swinford, including Circular Road, would affect a doctor’s surgery, a library, two schools and local county council offices.

Cllr Gerry Murray said the works would cause ‘considerable disruption’ in the town and asked if night-time work could be considered to minimise disruption to daily life.

The Sinn Féin councillor said businesses in Charlestown had seen ‘a significant drop’ in footfall during recent works on the local sewage system.

Foxford-based councillor Neil Cruise said he was ‘a bit baffled’ by the chosen route for the cable and said the route should have gone around Swinford rather than through the town.

Jason Kenna, Programme Manager with Eirgrid, told the meeting that several alternative routes surrounding Swinford were considered but were deemed unviable.

Mr Kenna said these routes were discounted due to potential interference with underground services, unsuitable topography road users and environmentally sensitive areas.

Paul Doherty, Programme Manager with ESB, described the Swinford section of the cable laying as a ‘detailed, complex’ job.

One option that was considered would have seen the N26 closed off to facilitate drilling works.

Another option was shelved due the presence of an old railway bridge.

Mr Doherty described the chosen route for the cable as ‘the best performing’ of those considered.

He added that night-time work would be considered in ‘exceptional circumstances’ to minimise disruption.  

Claremorris-based councillor Richard Finn said he was satisfied that the concerns of the communities affected by the works had been taken on board.

Describing the new cable as ‘a historic piece of infrastructure’, Cllr Finn said: “If we haven’t power, we won’t have industry, if we don’t have industry we won’t have jobs, and if we haven’t jobs, we won’t have people. There’s no use in us having a population if they aren’t able to go out and work.”

Construction on the cable has been scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025. It is planned that energisation of the cable will commence in the first quarter of 2028.

A total of €1.5 million in funding will be available for applications from communities affected by the North Connacht 110kv Interconnector project.