- Event to mark transfer today attended by ESB Generation Director Jim Dollard, Chief Executive of Offaly Co Co Anna Marie Delaney and members of the Dalton family
3 May 2024
ESB has today (Friday, 3 March) transferred the Dalton Centre at Shannonbridge to Offaly County Council for local enterprise use and/or community use and ultimately for community gain. It is envisaged that the unique scale, size and potential of the centre will contribute positively to the sustainable development, as well as the future economic, social, cultural and wellbeing of the surrounding area.
The Dalton Centre – named in honour of former ESB Director Ted Dalton – has been used to house a collection of the most important artefacts held by ESB since our foundation in 1927. The centre, which was formally opened in January 2003 by then Minister for Energy Dermot Ahern TD, played a key role in ESB’s longstanding and proud history in the Midlands.
Jim Dollard, ESB Executive Director, Generation and Trading, commented: “ESB has a long history in electricity generation in the Midlands. ESB is very grateful to the staff and broader communities involved for their support over those years. ESB is very pleased therefore to transfer the Dalton Centre to Offaly County Council for community gain. In the presence of the Dalton family and on behalf of ESB, I am delighted to formally transfer the Dalton Centre to Offaly County Council for the benefit of the surrounding community.”
The transfer of the Dalton Centre is in addition to €500,000 that ESB provided to Offaly County Council for the benefit of local communities around Shannonbridge. Offaly County Council is taking the lead in the administration of the €500,000 fund.
Chief Executive of Offaly County Council, Anna Marie Delaney, confirmed “the transfer of the Dalton Centre and the €500,000 fund awarded by ESB to Offaly County Council will allow the Local Authority to deliver tangible and meaningful benefits to the local communities in West Offaly in response to their needs.”
Shannonbridge Power Station remains a key strategic site for ESB’s operations. Temporary Energy Generation plant is currently being installed to support the national grid in the coming years, while longer-term planning has already been secured for the development of cutting-edge battery and grid stability technologies to help Ireland’s transition to a clean energy future.
ENDS/