Proposed wind farm near Clonmacnoise meets strong opposition

THE proposal to create a mega turbine wind farm near the monastic site of Clonmacnoise has met strong opposition.
A member of the local community group the Friends of Cornafulla, Clonmacnoise and the Shannon Callows told a recent meeting that 200 locals attended a public meeting on January 22nd, to discuss concerns about the proposed development.
The January 22nd meeting followed a community engagement session with Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables in St Ciaran's National School, Clonmacnoise, during which more than 50 questions were put to the community engagement officer regarding the planned development. “From the company's point of view it was just a box ticking exercise,” the Friends of Cornafulla member commented. “The rule for the day was they would only talk to us on an individual, person by person basis. We refused to comply with this. 120 of us turned up at the one time. I think this approach threw the company a bit off balance, which was a good thing.”
He pointed out that the OPW and the NPWS are against the proposed development, as are a number of TDs. “I think such developments,” he remarked, “should not be called Wind Farms. The more correct term would be Wind Factories. Farm is too good a word for them. These turbines will be only 800 metres from Clonmacnoise, which leads me to believe that if wind farm companies can get planning in such a sensitive spot then they will be able to get planning anywhere. The Roscommon County Council Development Plan also states that the land is not zoned for wind energy. They are talking about putting up at least 10 turbines which could be 220 to 230 metres tall, nearly the same height as the Eiffel Tower.”
Cornafulla Wind Farm is a joint project by Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables, and will be located on Cornafulla Bog in south Roscommon, located between Athlone, Clonmacnoise and Shannonbridge.
Cornafulla native Vincent Harney said there is significant interest and a large number of concerns about the Cornafulla project. “We’re not against wind farms, this is just not the right location. There is a strong belief locally that we need to stop this, and we will stop it.”
The principal concern among locals is the visual impact caused by the close proximity to the historic monastic site of Clonmacnoise, located just half a mile away. Both Roscommon County Council and Offaly County Council have deemed the area unsuitable for wind farm development, as it is a protected area. The site was previously used for peat extraction, which ceased in 2020.
Locals are also fearful that works at the site could contribute to increased pollution of the Shannon Callows, which surrounds the site on three sides. As much as 7,000 lorry loads of peat might have to be removed to facilitate the installation of the turbines.
The area is also a Special Area of Conservation for the protected whooper swan and 230 of these swans over winter at the site, flying back to Iceland in the Spring. It is illegal to interfere with this habitat.
In a statement this week Deputy Carol Nolan has voiced serious concern over the proposed development. Deputy Nolan said she was making her statement following a detailed representation from Clara Heritage Society, supported by Offaly Public Participation Network (PPN), which represents over 700 community groups across the county.
Clara Heritage Society's submission pointed out that the proposed development site lies half a mile from Clonmacnoise and would border the Shannon Callows SAC on three sides along a distance of approximately five kilometres.
“This proposal raises profound questions about the compatibility of large-scale wind energy infrastructure with the protection of one of Ireland’s most important cultural, spiritual and natural heritage landscapes,” the Deputy said, adding that Clonmacnoise is a National Monument of international significance, intrinsically linked to the River Shannon and the surrounding Callows. “Any development that compromises the integrity of this sacred landscape would have irreversible consequences not only for Offaly but for the nation as a whole.”
She highlighted the ecological importance of the Shannon Callows SAC, “the largest natural wetland in Western Europe” and a vital habitat for rare and protected species, as well as the unacceptable proximity of the proposed turbines to the ancient monastic site.
Deputy Nolan pointed out that she has “consistently advocated” for communities affected by wind turbine and wind farm developments across Offaly and rural Ireland and has strongly defended the county’s archaeological and built heritage.
“The Government’s commitment to the so-called green energy transition cannot be achieved by sacrificing sites of unparalleled historical and cultural value. I am calling for the highest level of scrutiny and transparency in the assessment of this proposal, including full public participation at every stage. If the project is designated as Strategic Infrastructure Development, then the bypassing of local authority planning would only further limit and radically undermine community input, a situation that would be wholly unacceptable. I am urging Bord na Móna, SSE Renewables and all relevant Government departments to apply the precautionary principle and to prioritise the long-term preservation of this unique heritage landscape over any short-term energy gains,” she said.

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