Protest against local wind farm plan
Members of the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group in West Offaly voiced their strong opposition to proposed plans for a controversial wind farm development on Lemanaghan Bog by staging a peaceful protest outside a public information clinic on the project earlier this week.
The lobby group also delivered a former letter of opposition to the joint developers of the controversial wind farm project, Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables, who hosted Tuesday evening's information clinic in Ballycumber Community Centre.
In the letter, the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group reiterated their “firm opposition” to the proposal for 15 wind turbines of up to 220 metres in height on Lemanaghan Bog and called for “genuine consultation” with the local community on the future use of the bog.
Fine Gael Cllr Hughie Egan, who was one of a number of local public representatives to attend the information clinic, was strongly critical of the Bord na Móna approach. “The community are outside and ye are in here,” he told company representatives, “that is not consultation.”
Indwependent TD Carol Nolan also stood in solidarity with the protesters while Cllr Sean O'Brien reaffirmed his commitment to raising the issue at the next meeting of Offaly County Council. Also in attendance were Cllrs John Clendennen and Frank Moran.
The protest also featured a passionate speech from Kieran Keenaghan, who warned of the possible environmental consequences of building wind farms on peatlands.
He said: "Building wind farms on peatlands needs to be stopped in the Faithful County."
The Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group hope that their peaceful protest, along with the letter of opposition and the strong backing from local representatives will prompt Bord na Móna to reconsider its plans and engage in what it said should be “a more inclusive consultation process” and open a dialogue on alternative uses of the bog with the local community.
In a statement last week prior to the public consultation event, Bord na Móna said: “Since the project first launched in 2021, the project team and its community liaison officer have engaged with the local community on an ongoing basis in relation to the proposed wind farm. The project team has conducted a range of community engagement activity, including the creation of a dedicated project website and virtual consultation room, meetings with members of the local community and house visits to neighbouring residents. Engagement with the local community will continue throughout the development of the proposed wind farm.”