By Gordon Deegan
Kilkenny hurling great Henry Shefflin has emerged as one of scores of locals who lodged objections to a large-scale €175 million wind farm fin Co. Kilkenny.
Last week, An Bord Pleanála gave the go-ahead to the 21-turbine wind farm on a 1,434 hectare site, mainly owned by Coillte, to the east of the 10-time All Ireland winner’s native Ballyhale in southeast Kilkenny.
The Castlebanny windfarm is expected to generate enough clean, green electricity to power the equivalent of around 70,000 homes annually.
The wind farm is a joint venture between FutureEnergy Ireland – made up of Coillte and the ESB – and ART Generation.
Following the planning decision by an Bord Pleanála details of objections to an appeals board have emerged. These included objections from Shefflin and the four-time All-Ireland winner with Kilkenny hurlers, Colin Fennelly who is also from Ballyhale, while the Save the South Leinster Way Group, which had 80 members, also submitted objections.
The submissions were lodged with An Bord Pleanála in March 2021 but have only become available following a final planning ruling on the wind farm.
In total, around 70 submissions were lodged to the appeals board in relation to objections to the wind farm.
Henry Shefflin, who is currently Galway senior hurling manager, stated in his submission that “the residential amenity of my home would be irrevocably compromised by the construction and operation of this wind farm”.
The three-time Hurler of the Year and 11 time All-Star added:
“It is proposed that these turbines are up to 185m in height. Surely, it is completely unjust and unreasonable for such gigantic moving structures to be placed in such close proximity to people’s homes.”
The Shefflin objection also outlined that “due to the enormous height and number of turbines involved, together with the proposal to build on a ridge, the visual impact of the development would be extensive and would have an extremely negative effect on the surrounding landscape, stretching into neighbouring counties”.
The hurling legend also stated that “the National trail, the South Leinster Way, in particular, would be greatly compromised”.
Henry Shefflin was keen to stress in his submission that he was not opposed to wind energy but he was “opposed to wind farms being constructed in unsuitable areas with no concern to the health or well being of local residents”.
Meanwhile in its 54-page submission to the appeals board the Save the South Leinster Way Group, argued that it could not “be the case that communities like ours continuously pay the price for high energy demands in urban areas and abroad through the loss of our landscape and biodiversity”.
The appeals board granted planning permission after its inspector in the case, Karla McBride, concluded that the proposed wind farm would not seriously injure the visual or residential amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity.
McBride also concluded that the project would not have an unacceptable impact on landscape or ecology.
A spokeswoman for FutureEnergy Ireland declined to comment on whether the windfarm developers had engaged directly with Shefflin and Fennelly about the project.
The spokeswoman said that the group was “unable to comment on individual stakeholder engagement”.
“Our community liaison officer was available at all times to provide clarifications and answer any questions and queries,” she said.
“He was also available throughout the 20 months that the project was in the planning system and remains the point of contact for the community as the project moves into this new phase of development.”
It is understood that construction of the new wind farm could begin in in 2025 and is scheduled to take two to three years.
FutureEnergy Ireland portfolio director Paul Gallagher said the organisation wanted to engage with communities in south Kilkenny to “harness the project’s potential” and to contribute towards Ireland’s climate action targets improve the country’s energy security and provide social and economic benefits to the local area.
The chief executive officer of ART Generation, Richard Walshe, also said the decision by An Bord Pleanála “endorses and complements our most basic needs in terms of energy security and environmental sustainability for future generations”.