A visit to Killaloe, O'Briensbridge and the hydroelectric power station at Ardnacrusha on the Shannon.
Killaloe is where the river Shannon meets Lough Derg, and where Brian Boru, High King of Ireland resided. His clan the O'Briens had their own banshee named Aoibheall who,
Lived in the rock Craganeevul...
Local people go about their daily work here, ancient royal connections notwithstanding. Milk is brought to the creamery and near O’Briensbridge the making of greenheart fly rods by craftsmen still continues.
Up until the 1920s Doonass Falls, the narrowest point on the Shannon, was famed for the beauty of its waterfalls as well as salmon fishing.
All this changed with the development of the Shannon hydroelectric power scheme at Ardnacrusha. The water level decreased, and the mighty flowing rapids became a meandering section of the river.
The migration of salmon was badly affected, as they could not make their way upriver. A solution was found in the form of a fish lift which transports fish from the tail race over the dam and back into the river, so that,
They can make their way to Lough Derg in the north.
This episode of 'Discovery: Journey On The River Shannon' was broadcast on 16 June 1964. The narrator is Brian Cleeve.
'Discovery’ was a documentary series broadcast on RTÉ Television which touched on many aspects of Irish life with an occasional spotlight on events of particular interest. First broadcast on 14 January 1964 it ran until 1967.
