Residents express concern over proposed South Roscommon wind farm
By Rebekah O'Reilly
The local community group Friends of Cornafulla, Clonmacnoise and the Shannon Callows held a public meeting on Thursday last, January 22, to discuss concerns about a proposed wind farm in the area. The meeting took place at Clann na nGael’s grounds in Johnstown, where over 200 locals attended to share their concerns.
A committee for Friends of Cornafulla, Clonmacnoise and the Shannon Callows was established at the meeting.
The meeting followed a community engagement session with Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables on January 2, which was attended by over 80 people. More than 50 questions were put to the community engagement officer regarding the planned Cornafulla wind farm.
Cornafulla native Vincent Harney, who attended the meeting, said there is significant interest and a large number of concerns about the plans.
“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.”
Among the concerns expressed was the proximity of the site to the historic monastic site of Clonmacnoise, located just half a mile away. Members noted that 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 shared fears that works at the site could contribute to increased pollution of the Shannon Callows, which surrounds the site on three sides. It was claimed that up to 7,000 lorry loads of peat would need to be removed to facilitate the installation of wind turbines.
The area also includes a Special Area of Conservation for the protected whooper swan. Over 230 swans are said to roost at the site, and the meeting heard that it is illegal to interfere with this habitat.
Initial plans for the wind farm, a joint project by Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables, outlined the development on Cornafulla Bog in south Roscommon, located between Athlone, Clonmacnoise and Shannonbridge.
The project will go through a pre-planning consultation process with An Coimisiún Pleanála to determine whether it qualifies as a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID). Under Irish planning law, wind farms with more than 25 turbines or a total output exceeding 50 megawatts may be classed as SID, which allows applications to go directly to the planning board.
The meeting heard that at least ten wind turbines, each exceeding 185 metres in height, are being considered for the Cornafulla Bog site.
If the project is designated as strategic infrastructure, a formal planning application would be submitted directly to An Coimisiún Pleanála rather than the local authority.