This event is fully booked at the moment, but feel free to register for the waiting list or for online participation.
On 4 July 2025 we will hold a one-day colloquium in collaboration with Siemens Ireland and ESB to commemorate 100 years since the passing of the Shannon Electricity Act on 4 July 1925 and the inception of the Shannon hydro-electric power station. The event will explore Irish-German relations of the time, delving into diplomatic, business, engineering, literary, and cultural contexts. Highlights include an exhibition of photographs, memorabilia, and postcards, alongside discussions on the transformative impact of the Shannon Scheme on Ireland’s modernisation, engineering advancements, and Irish-German migration links.
Programme
10 a.m.
Opening – John Moran (Mayor Limerick), Minister of State Timmy Dooley, T.D.; Prof Kenneth Staunton (Dean Science and Engineering, UL); H.E. David Gill (German Ambassador); Aiden Cawley (Siemens Ireland); Sean Hegarty (ESB) and Prof Gisela Holfter (CIGS, UL)
10.20 a.m. – 11.20 a.m.
Ardnacrusha from an engineering, architecture and marketing perspective – Prof Tom Cosgrove (Engineering, UL), Jan Frohburg (Architecture), Prof Deirdre O’Loughlin (Marketing)
11.20 a.m.
Coffee break
11.40 a.m. – 12.40 p.m.
Literary, artistic and cultural memories & repercussions – Maire Ni Ghrada (Irish, UL), Professor Emeritus Joachim Fischer (CIGS), Dr Sorcha O’Brien (IADT)
12.40 p.m. – 1.30 p.m.
Lunch (ground floor, including access to the exhibition on Ardnacrusha in Special Collections, welcome Ciara McCaffrey, Director Glucksman Library and introduction Ken Bergin, Head Special Collection)
1.30 p.m. – 2.30 p.m.
The impact and legacy of Ardnacrusha: Irish-German diplomacy and business then and now – Roundtable with Stefanie Ziska (CEO German-Irish Chamber of Industry & Commerce), H.E. David Gill (German Ambassador), Simon Dauber (Allianz), Aiden Cawley (Siemens) and Sean Hegarty (ESB)
2.30 p.m.
Leaving for Ardnacrusha (bus transport)
3 p.m.
Guided tour of the Ardnacrusha Power Station
Bus returning to UL at 5pm
General Info