Clare County Council has refused to grant planning permission for an eight-turbine wind farm in Co Clare after intense pressure from locals and members of the Oireachtas.

The proposed Slieveacurry wind farm is located approximately five kilometres to the east of Miltown Malbay and consisted of eight 175m-tall wind turbines with an output of approximately 34 megawatts (MW).

The plans, submitted by Cork renewable energy firm Enerco Energy, received over 100 objections from locals, members of the county council and the Oireachtas.

Objectors

Among the objectors were Senator Roisin Garvey (Green Party), Violet Anne Wynne TD (Sinn Féin), Cathal Crowe TD (Fianna Fáil) and Senator Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fáil).

Slieveacurry Ltd has told Clare Co Council that its associated Cork firm Enerco Energy has said it currently has over 640MW of wind generating capacity in commercial operation and has a further 400MW of projects at various stages in its portfolio to assist in meeting Ireland’s renewable energy targets.

Planning permission for the development was previously refused in 2021.