Eirgrid boss ‘wouldn’t like to live close to pylons’

The chairman designate of Eirgrid, the national power grid operator, has admitted that he would not like to live near electricity pylons.

John O’Connor, the former chairman of An Bord Pleanála, acknowledged his preference for not having pylons close to his home yesterday as they were visually intrusive and could cause shadows.

His stark admission came as the national power grid operator faces controversy over its €3.2bn Grid 25 plan to upgrade the network with hundreds of new pylons in several parts of the country.