Skip to content

Cathaleens Fall Dam Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Inishanier: Hi,

There has been no response from the cache owner so I'm Archiving this cache.

It may be possible to reactivate this cache. If you wish to do so please contact me via my profile and quote the Geocaching.com ID for the cache so I know which one you are referring to.

Please be aware that reactivation is not guaranteed and will depend on individual circumstances.

Many thanks,

Graham

Inishanier - Volunteer Reviewer for Geocaching.com (Ireland)

More
Hidden : 4/6/2010
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   not chosen (not chosen)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

Erne hydro-electric scheme - Cache 1. Cathaleens Fall dam, located on a back road from Ballyshannon to Belleek.

The ESB began work on the hydro-electric development on the river Erne in 1946, this involved the erection of two dams. One known as Cliff Station and another at Ballyshannon known as Cathaleens Fall station. The dam at cliff is well hidden away and basically unknown. Cathaleens Fall station is not so hidden and is in full view from Ballyshannon.

Cathaleens Fall
Cathaleens Fall has twoturbo-alternator sets, each with an output of 22.5MW, under a head of 29 metres of water. ESB commissioned these in 1951 and 1952. A 400kW generator supplies power for auxiliaries. Before this dam was built, Assaroe Falls (Irish: Eas Aoidh Ruadh, English: the waterfall of Red Hugh), also known as Cathaleens Falls, was a waterfall on the River Erne near Ballyshannon. It was named after Aodh Ruadh, who according to tradition, slipped and fell from the waterfall and drowned.

View of Cathaleens Fall from Ballyshannon by-pass bridge

Cliff Dam
Cliff dam has two turbo-alternator sets, each with an output of 10MW, under a head of 12 metres of water. ESB brought them into service in 1950 and 1955. A 300kW generator supplies power for auxiliaries and local needs.

view of Cliff dam

Both alternator sets generate at 10.5 Kilovolts. Each set is connected to its own step-up transformer in an outdoor compound at the Cathaleens Fall station. Through these, the electricity produced is fed into the National Grid.

Assaroe Lake
Assaroe Lake is a 1,100-acre artificial lake created by the Cathaleen falls and Cliff Hydro schemes and is controlled by the ESB. This is a good fishing lake, permit necessary from ESB, boats can be used with permission from ESB but not near the dams.

Assaroe Lake

Belleek Channel
To improve water control in the catchment, the 6km long Belleek Channel was enlarged through excavation and locks were constructed at Enniskillen.

Work on Cathaleens Fall Dam

Diver working on Cathaleens Fall dam

Turbine room of Cathaleens Fall station

Channel dug from Cathaleens Fall station under Ballyshannon bridge

The cache. The cache is located under the new by-pass bridge, The cache is a magnetic nano. Cache is best accessed from the back road to Belleek side, parking is provided at the side of the small round-a-bout.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

abar arrqrq

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)