DESCRIBED AS THE greatest social revolution in Ireland since the land reforms in 1880s, today marks exactly 70 years since the raising of the first pole of the rural electrification scheme

The first pole of about a million was erected on 5 November 1946 in Kilsallaghan, north county Dublin

Back then, almost two million people in 400,000 homes in rural Ireland were without electricity. Almost 20 years later, 81% of the country was connected to the grid and rural parts of the country were transformed.

To celebrate 70 years since the start of the process, the ESB has uploaded some of the striking images taken from the time to the ESB Archives website.

An exhibition on rural electrification also remains open in Carlow County Museum until the end of the year.

It features original appliances and farm machinery from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, including the electric milking and butter machines.