Eirgrid refuses to divert route of interconnector cable away from East Cork residential areas

Elected officials pleaded with the company to run the cable alongside the N25 instead of through residential areas in Churchtown

Churchtown North and Roxborough residents near Mogeely protesting last year against the Eirgrid interconnector in the area. File picture: Eddie O'Hare

Eirgrid is refusing to backtrack on its decision not to run the Celtic Interconnector cable along the side of the main Cork – Waterford road (N25) between Midleton and Carrigtwohill, even though upgrading the highway has been put on hold due to lack of government funding.

At a meeting of the East Cork Municipal District, councillors pleaded with senior Eirgrid officials to stick to laying the cable along the roadside, rather than proceeding with their plan to take it off the main road at Churchtown, slightly to the east of Midleton, and run it through residential areas to the northern side of the town and onto the former Amgen site at Carrigtwohill.