Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,
Cork Independent, 16 January 2014
“Technical Memories (Part 67) – A Nation Building Exercise”
Before Christmas, the column began focusing on several projects in the Cork region which provided employment for graduates of the Crawford Municipal Technical Institute. The French engineering firm of the Société de Construction des Batignolles (SCB), Paris had wide experience of large hydroelectric development works in France and the French colonies. It was given the contract to construct the dams and power stations at Carrigadrohid and Inniscarra on the River Lee. The Company’s technological mastery grew with each new experience. In addition to its traditional railway construction business, SCB excelled in two other sectors: the building of ports (such as Tunis) and the building of bridges (the metal bridge over the river Neva in St Petersburg). During the 1930s and the 1950s the building of hydroelectric power plants in France and abroad were the company’s most common activities. In 1968, SCB merged with the industrial electrical firm, the Société Parisienne pour Industrie Eléctrique (SPIE), to become what is known today as SPIE Batignolles.
The Inniscara camp was blessed and opened by Dr Roche, Bishop of Cloyne, on 25 October 1953. As revealed in the Cork Examiner on the following day, the Commercial Attaché to the French Embassy in Dublin expressed his pleasure at seeing the French and Irish workers joined together in a work of peace. The French engineers engaged on the project had put a cross on the hill overlooking the site as a present to their fellow workers and they hoped it would remain there for the duration of the work and for many years after. The cross was illuminated in the French colours at night and was a well-known landmark to be viewed from the road on the opposite bank. Mr M André Gossonant, Chief Engineer of the Société, said that his firm was anxious to co-operate fully with the workers and to give them all necessary amenities and facilities, as their interests were mutual. Mr V L McEntee said that the contractors to the project had provided the altar in the oratory; the vestments and equipment were the gift of the Joint Advisory Council on which the Société and workers were represented. To the funds of this Council came the contributions of the workers who paid in 3d for every pound earned, the company contributing an equal portion. From the fund they gave assistance to those who were ill or in need of help.
On 16 May 1954, an open-air Mass was celebrated on the site of the Lee scheme at Inniscarra for the repose of those who had died in Dien Bien Phu. It was celebrated at the request of the Irish and French workers and their families, some of whom had relatives engaged in the conflict. The celebrant was the Rev C Gouffe, MSC, who preached in French. During Mass the Reveille and the Last Post were sounded. Fr O’Leary, MSC recited the Rosary in Irish. A number of French personnel received Holy Communion. France had been involved in Indo-China since 1859. During World War II the Viet Minh – the Communist-led Vietnam League for Independence – began a struggle against the Japanese and the French for independence. After the war the Viet Minh continued the offensive against the French. This war, the Franco-Vietnamese war, lasted from 1946 until 1954. The United States supported the French financially by paying for 80 per cent of France’s military costs in Indo-China. The French, however, were unable to execute a military solution. The last big battle in the country was in Dien Bien Phu where the French were besieged for seven weeks. The final Viet Minh offensive lasted twenty hours and on 7 May 1954, the French surrendered after very heavy losses.
In the mid-Cork region, the construction was deemed as a type of industrial revolution project. It was the first time that such a big project was undertaken in the area. Attracted by higher wages, regular hours and the chance of overtime, hundreds of workers looked for work on the dam sites. The Lee Scheme was an enormous nation building and public enterprise project, which saw 3,500 acres of land submerged causing vast physical transformation of the Lee Valley.
On the Lee scheme, the Dublin firm, John Paul & Co, Donnybrook, was awarded the contract to build the three bridges and the new road diversions on the Lee scheme. Founded on 1 March 1949, the founding directors were John Paul and Tommy Simmington. Both men were well experienced in civil engineering works. Tommy Simmington worked with a British civil engineering construction company in the 1930s. He worked on Butt Bridge, Foynes and on the erection of Kenmare bridge. He was County Engineer in Clare prior to the foundation of the company. John Paul worked with the civil engineering construction company, McLaughlin and Harvey. He had worked on the Erne scheme, the Silent valley scheme in County Down and Shannon Airport.
To be continued…
Generations: The Story of the Lee Hydroelectric Scheme (2007) by Kieran McCarthy and Seamus O’Donoghue is still available in local Cork bookshops.
Caption:
724a. Inniscarra Dam, c.1957, year of opening (picture: ESB Archives)