A chara, – Some years ago, while driving from Kilkenny to Galway on a fine summer evening, I took some time to visit the area. The countryside was beautiful. The landscape was rural and unspoilt. Ireland was looking its best. I then came to a small village called Templetuohy.
Here the aspect changed. Large wind turbines were scattered around the area. These turbines stood like sentinels dominating the surroundings and completely changing the atmosphere of the countryside. They were forbidding and alien to the landscape. They were visible for miles around.
Since then, I am reading of more and more wind farm developments. I feel that the general public is unaware of the size of these wind turbines. The turbines currently being planned and built are much bigger than anything that has been constructed in the past. They are huge. Massive developments are planned for Connemara, Mayo and Donegal. Thousands of these monstrosities will defile the landscape. Of course, they will be concentrated in the quiet, unspoilt areas of Ireland where unscrupulous developers will feel that they can bully or bribe the sparsely populated local communities. It goes without saying that those driving these projects stand to earn millions. They care nothing about the destruction of the Irish landscape. We, the Irish people, are depending on the same planning authorities that allowed countless ugly housing developments to despoil our towns and villages over the past 12 years.
Alternative energy is desirable, but at what cost? These developments will irreparably damage the Irish countryside. – Is mise,