The ESB say the Arigna power station is uneconomic and has been shut down but the fight to keep it open goes on say workers.
The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) Power station at Arigna in County Roscommon opened in 1958, it was the Connacht region’s first major electricity generation station. The Arigna power station officially closed today, no longer feeding power into the national grid. Over three years ago a campaign started to keep it open, but it was considered uneconomic by the ESB, and despite this and representations to politicians, it was not kept open. Paul Kelly is one Arigna worker who will keep on fighting.
Arigna is symbolic of the whole death of the west of Ireland and we are fighting not alone for Arigna but for the west of Ireland.
Redundancy or relocation deals with the ESB may be available, but some workers like James Healy don’t want to leave the area, and feel that they have been let down.
My feelings are of total disgust with the politicians in the area, and with the government of the day. The shutdown of Arigna station, which we can see clearly, is unnecessary.
The belief in Arigna is that Taoiseach Albert Reynolds is the only one who can reverse the closure. But would any intervention on his behalf be too late? Jim Nolan doesn’t believe so,
We’re not fighting a lost cause, because this area, this whole area is at stake. The jobs in the station, the jobs in the mines, the jobs in business in the town, and the whole livelihood of this community, and the whole lifestyle is at stake. We think it’s worth fighting for.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 30 June 1993. The reporter is Eileen Magnier.
