The ESB, Ireland's national power company (since 1927) has always standardised on VDE recomendations although in some instances would tend to go for the "safest" VDE option. E.g when it came to sockeet outlets they recomended VDE class I and banned class II (ungrounded). It was only when the technical committies (ETCI) came along that BS norms started to be considered. E.g. BS1363. Apparently it was highly frowned upon by the safety experts as it was possible to touch the live pins until the 1980s but the construction industry prefered the british system as it was cheaper and in abundent supply and pretty modular (standardised flush boxes etc). They were importing UK style switches and german sockets which didn't fit the switch boxes until this point. It was also quite difficult to source VDE sockets in decorative styles, they tended to come in flush fitting / surface mounted light beige and nothing else. While UK equivilants were available in colours and brass, silver, bronze finishes quite readily. Did VDE ban metal cased socket outlets? I have hardly ever seen a metal schuko outlet.
Oddly enough, as i mentioned in another post the term "schuko" meant absolutely nothing to an electrician here they were refered to as "VDE type 2" or "VDE 16A side earthed." Where did the schuko term come in?
Ireland still has quite a few societies and institutions that have held on to the "Royal" in their title despite having left the common wealth etc since 1932.
Royal Dublin Society
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Most of the Royal societies in the UK have Irish equivilants that simply replace Royal with Irish or with Irish National.
e.g RSCPA - ISPCA
RSPCC - ISPCC
We still Have the RNLI, Royal National Lifeboats Institute operating life boat services all over Ireland though. one of the few shared UK-Ireland services.
[This message has been edited by djk (edited 11-08-2003).]
