'Lovely Leitrim will be no more'

“People are simply not aware of this development and the scale of it”

A public information meeting took place on Thursday evening, organised by locals opposed to a potential wind farm development in North Leitrim.

The Save Dough Mountain Group organised the meeting to oppose a proposed wind farm development on Dough Mountain near Manorhamilton.

Lissinagroagh Wind Farm, if built, would consist of fourteen 180-metre-tall wind turbines, which the group and other locals have said are unsuitable for the area.

“Save Dough is a pro-wind group; we are not against renewable energy or wind farms,” said Niall McEnroy, a member of the Save Dough Group who spoke at the event.

“What we want is a no regrets approach to future energy and we strongly feel that we will have grave regrets if this development is let go ahead.”

He cited a list of issues the group has with the proposed development, including impacts on the ecology and heritage, visual impacts on the mountain, and the risk of land slippage on the mountain.

“People are simply not aware of this development and the scale of it,” he said. “If this development goes ahead, the visual amenity of the area will be completely destroyed, and lovely Leitrim will be no more in North Leitrim.”

The assembled crowd included people from the area as well as several county councillors.

The discussion was opened to the floor, where locals shared concerns over the impact on house prices, and some shared their experiences of living near a wind farm in the vicinity and how it has impacted their lives.

Last month, the group raised around €10,000 to hire experts to help them form an objection against the proposal by July 10th.

They also called on the public to lodge their own objections to the project.

FuturEnergy Ireland, the company behind the wind farm application, has stressed the role of community engagement in the project and that their application was made following extensive studies from industry experts and environmental specialists.

It also stated that the proposed Lissinagroagh Wind Farm has the potential to produce “local benefits that many community members are keen to see boost the area, including a Community Benefit Fund of an estimated €12.5 million over the lifetime of the project.

This project would also come with significant employment opportunities and local services supported during construction, secure local energy and a strengthened local electricity grid.”