Generate the State shows us how the Shannon Scheme was constructed in the shadow of the Civil War and chronic shortages of food and money, this massive financial and logistical undertaking generated more than electricity.

There was controversy, strikes and art, including from Limerick’s Seán Keating, the painter of the revolution, and from photographer Franz Haselbeck. There were even allegations of a German conspiracy in Ireland. Using contemporary cinema, the impressive Siemens and Haselbeck photographic collections and Seán Keating’s series of paintings of the work in progress, Johnny Gogan creates a rich picture of how the State dared to dream of a better future for its people in a time of crisis.

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