Sir, – Bravo to The Irish Times for highlighting the "creative powerhouse" that thrives in west Cork (Manchán Magan, "The Cork corner that became a creative powerhouse", Homes & Property, September 13th).
Peter O’Neill farmed at Ardkit, Enniskean. Before 1944, he was generating his own DC electricity on his farm. I remember clearly the huge batteries that he used to charge for his radio to listen to the news about the second World War.
With this low-voltage power, he developed the incubator to hatch chickens and displayed it at the Cork Exhibition. It is my understanding that he sold the patent. He also grew tobacco, and I remember the racks where the tobacco leaves hung out to dry.
I was five years old when Peter O’Neill died in 1944. He was my grandfather. – Yours, etc,
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T KEVIN O’NEILL,
Winchester,
Hampshire, UK.