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Child Item

Does anyone remember the ESB strike of 1991?

Raconteuse

I was in primary school. It was this time of year - same kinda weather. Longer days but not quite out of winter. They'd cut the power every few hours in different areas, and the media would advise of the "timetable" for power on or off in your locality.

I was reminded of it due to the current situation. Not the same of course but it felt kinda similar in ways with the restrictions it entailed. Made me feel a bit scared as a kid, and I couldn't understand why.

I realise now it was the feeling of vulnerability when something you're so reliant on is gone.

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Aglomerado

I remember the rolling blackouts! Everywhere was without power for a few hours a day. I don't remember much else though.

Ninthlife

Raconteuse wrote: »

I was in primary school. It was this time of year - same kinda weather. Longer days but not quite out of winter. They'd cut the power every few hours in different areas, and the media would advise of the "timetable" for power on or off in your locality.

I was reminded of it due to the current situation. Not the same of course but it felt kinda similar in ways with the restrictions it entailed. Made me feel a bit scared as a kid, and I couldn't understand why.

I realise now it was the feeling of vulnerability when something you're so reliant on is gone.

I would have been 12 at the time and how many keepy uppies I could do was my main priority. I dont remember this strike but a wild few years from aged 17 to about 24 has wiped alot of memories

Grandeeod

I remember it as I was an adult. Fairly minor in the scheme of things. The strikes in the 1970s were far worse. I was a young kid then and every night the power was off for days and days in the strikes of the late '70s, but it was Summer time. I lit my room with a Star Wars light sabre.:D

Raconteuse

Grandeeod wrote: »

I remember it as I was an adult. Fairly minor in the scheme of things. The strikes in the 1970s were far worse. I was a young kid then and every night the power was off for days and days in the strikes of the late '70s, but it was Summer time. I lit my room with a Star Wars light sabre.:D

Oh god, I couldn't hack the one in '91 at all. And it was just chunks of a few hours at certain intervals.

ILoveYourVibes

Grandeeod wrote: »

I remember it as I was an adult.:D

I don't think kids remember these things.

Rubberchikken

No but then I was abroad and no internet and less chance of Ireland being on the news there.

Raconteuse

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

I don't think kids remember these things.

That poster Grandeeod remembers it as a small child in the 70s. It's in their post.

Snails pace

Before my time but I remember my mother talking about them and how they used parafin lamps and gas heaters to keep the chicken houses warm.

Better Than Christ

I remember the one before that too. I think it would have been in 1987. I was only five and basically had the mental capacity of a small child. I vaguely remember my parents talking about the strike causing power cuts, but I didn't have a clue what a 'strike' meant. I actually thought it was some kind of electrical problem, such was my lack of industrial relations knowledge at the time.

I think both the '87 and '91 strikes happened in spring or early summer. I remember the evenings being bright anyway.

Wibbs

I remember the 70's one as a small child too and the 91 one too. Though by the latter I had moved to a house which was on the same circuit or whatever as a hospital so alone among my mates I had power(or is that powaaah). I was dead popular at the time.

The 70's ones stood out alright, the my dad had some old style oil lamps, which are actually quite bright so I could still read my comics and we cooked on gas so grub and tea was not an issue so all good. And he was a great storyteller with it so I actually kinda looked forward to them in some ways. I do remember my dad chatting with his brother in England and they had worse powercuts apparently.

branie2

Seeing ESB staff walking up and down outside their office in a picket line, and the electricity going off at certain times.

Nodster

Just like Grandeeod, I was a nipper in the 70's (born in 62) and recall the ESB had full page adverts in the evening papers telling us which areas would have scheduled blackouts. All well and grand, but I recall one of the big wigs for the ESB, his house was literally over the back garden wall and we often have double the cuts - 8 hours instead of 4. While across the road from us rarely had any cuts as there was two large old folks homes close by and the 'far side of the road' was mapped on a different grid from us

[Deleted User]

Was in college in Galway for the 1991 one.
It was early spring if I recall.

There were scheduled power outages, remember being annoyed that the pubs would be closed.

LETHAL LADY

There was a big strike in May 1987 if I recall correctly.
I was only a youngster but I remember my mother gathering candles and my father getting "a loan" of those red torches with the massive batteries from work.
My older brother taught me what would happen if you stuck your tongue between the positive and negative on those large batteries too....the bastard!
Seems RTE have a recording of the plight 😱

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0503/872149-no-electricity-strike-at-esb/

uch

I had a Gas Cooker so no problem making Cakes in our hose

sunbeam

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Was in college in Galway for the 1991 one.
It was early spring if I recall.

There were scheduled power outages, remember being annoyed that the pubs would be closed.

I was too. I think it was coming up to exams. We somehow managed to avoid the outages-I think we were on the hospital line.

LETHAL LADY

uch wrote: »

I had a Gas Cooker so no problem making Cakes in our hose

Was your ma Calor Kosangas Housewife of the Year by any chance?

uch

LETHAL LADY wrote: »

Was your ma Calor Kosangas Housewife of the Year by any chance?

Nah, but she should have been, she made a mean apple tart

Dr. Bre

Ye I remember it . It was electric

uch

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Ye I remember it . It was electric

I'll think you find it wasn't cause they were on strike

LETHAL LADY

uch wrote: »

Nah, but she should have been, she made a mean apple tart

Sounds like a proper Irish Mam 😉
We only had a badly maintained AGA to cook on at the time in our rented house. Everything had a sooty taste!

road_high

sugarman wrote: »

I dont remember the '91 strikes, but I do remember there was constantly power cuts in general right up until late 90s / early 00s.

As in every few weeks, for a few hours or even days at a time.

Probably been one or two in last 15-20 years in comparison.

That’s right actually. I grew up in rural Ireland and it was fairly regular that it could just go randomly. Was very frustrating for dairy farmers, we had a back up linked to the tractor. I often remember that being used, but not in 25 years. Usually we’d say there was a “fault on the line“! We were on a different line to a lot of neighbours and often if at night you could see they’d still have their power. It would just come back then fairly randomly. Definitely well into the 90s, possibly even later as I remember it happening doing homework and using candles! I think the ESB networks was under a lot of strain and was upgraded massively in the past 20 years.
Things have moved in massively on this country that’s why this is such a shock for everyone. Ireland is a different country to what we had in the late 80s/90s things were a lot more laid back and make do. Back then you were very constrained in different ways usually money and poor infrastructure

One eyed Jack

Vague memories of it being covered on the news alright, was unaffected by it though. In 1991 I used to have to put 50p coin in a meter to take a hot shower, I remember that alright, rip-off :mad: :pac:

Hotblack Desiato

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Was in college in Galway for the 1991 one.
It was early spring if I recall.

There were scheduled power outages, remember being annoyed that the pubs would be closed.

I remember getting served pints by candlelight during that strike

Had a power cut just after 4pm there, out for 40 minutes. 4G worked for about three minutes and then all the video conferencing work from home gimps piled in, so even accessing a basic text only website became impossible

After the power came back I was able to get onto ESB Power Check (:rolleyes:) and it said there was a fault at the 110kV station in Inchicore. I wonder did some cable go travelling again...