Two cooling towers at the former ESB Power Station in Rhode, Co Offaly, were demolished this morning.
The demolition took place at 11 a.m. and was carried out by specialist contractors Robinson & Birdsell of Leeds. The structures, which dominated the local landscape, imploded within a few seconds of each other and fell close to their base.
A safety exclusion zone was set up at the station site, and the Rhode/ Rochfortbridge road was closed by gardaí for almost an hour. The demolition was visible from several miles away.
The Rhode cooling towers were over 80 metres high, with an external diameter of over 55 metres at the base and 30 metres at the top. They were used to condense steam produced in the boilers of the power station so it could be recycled in the power station.
The demolition was carried out as part of the site clearance following the closure of the power station last year.