Domestic comforts which have long been common in mainland homes, such as electric cookers, storage heaters and power showers, have finally arrived on Inishturk (population 85), an island in the Atlantic eight miles off Co Mayo.
At around 2 p.m. yesterday, the Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuiv, tripped the switch, which sent what is known as "three-phase" electricity surging to scattered homes on the hilly island.
"I have no doubt that the provision of three-phase power will change the lives of the people who live here for the better," the Minister said.
The 33 householders on the island, who often cursed single-phase electricity for its limitations and undependability, say the new system will be a blessing.
Since 1986, when the ESB installed three single-phase generators on the island, only one generator was in service at any one time and the island operator manually switched between generators on a twice-daily basis. This disrupted the time on digital equipment, such as video timers, and it meant that alarm clocks often did not go off in the morning.
The relatively small size of the generators also meant that equipment, such as power drills, electric showers, storage heaters and electric cookers, could not be used.
Islander Mr Bernard Heaney described the upgrade as a "godsend".
The department and ESB have invested €200,000 in the project, giving the islanders a quality of electricity supply comparable to any rural location on the mainland, according to Mr Tadhg O'Donoghue, chairman of the ESB.
To celebrate the electricity upgrade, Mr O'Donoghue presented Ms Annie Alice O'Toole, chairwoman of the island community council, with a voucher to buy an electric cooker, to be used in the community centre.