As I understand it, the level of Lough Erne, and the occasional need to use its only lock, at Portora, are both determined by the operations of the Lough Erne hydroelectric scheme, although most of the lake, and the lock, are in Northern Ireland, while the hydroelectric stations, at Cliff and Cathaleen’s Fall, are both in the republic. The Erne scheme is less well known, and has been less often written about, than the Shannon scheme at Ardnacrusha, so it is good to note that two Ballyshannon men, Dessie Doyle and Brian Drummond, have written a book about the Erne scheme.
Unfortunately it is not clear from Messrs Lilliput Press’s website whether the book has already been published or is to appear some time in 2014. No publication date is given, but on the other hand it is not in the list of forthcoming books, but that list does not extend beyond November 2013. I would be glad to be able to carry reliable information, but I regret that I am unable to do so.
Irish waterways history 
Available – saw it on sale in Hodges Figgis before Christmas. BTW no connection to Hodges Figgis.
Excellent: thank you. Perhaps Messrs Lilliput Press will update their website. bjg
Book available on Amazon
Thank you. bjg
Book has been published and is available in bookshops – Alan Hanna’s in Rathmines anyway.
Great; thanks, Cathal. I’d be glad to hear from anyone who has read it too. bjg
I have run undergraduate courses on History of Electricity, so I will be looking at the book in more detail shortly. From a quick scan it looks impressive, with excellent photographs, and a useful bibliography. Might be interesting to get either Brian or Dessie to do a post?
Also worth mentioning in this connection is Eimear O’Connor’s “Sean Keating: Art, Politics and Building the Irish Nation”, which has a detailed account of his paintings recording the Shannon and Liffey schemes in the 1920s and 1930s.
Thank you very much indeed. I’ll see if I can contact Brian or Dessie. bjg