Then There Was Light

This book charts one of the defining projects that modernised Ireland - the Rural Electrification Scheme's roll-out across Ireland in the early 20th century. It presents the eyewitness accounts of both ESB employees and the general public, as they recall the suspicions, worries and wonder surrounding the bringing of the light. They also outline the challenges faced in implementing arguably the greatest social revolution ever experienced in the country, as the accounts capture the tension that arose between old Ireland and the making of the new. Some people embraced the scheme enthusiastically, while others declared that electrification could "blow up everyone in their own beds." -- Publisher description