April 14, 2013
Ireland

‘Our quality of life has gone. We can’t sleep for the noise’

The Irish Mail on Sunday | April 14, 2013 |

One couple all too familiar with the problems caused by wind turbines are Philip and Catherine Hickey who live less than 400 metres from one.

The Wexford couple said their quality of life has been severely affected, with headaches and lack of sleep a constant factor.

Since February 2011, six wind turbines have been operational around their home, with four visible from their bungalow in Ballylusk.

Mr Hickey told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘The visual aspect of our home has been destroyed. We have four that we can see, we are watching them every day from our windows. When we are sit at our kitchen table, we can see them spinning the whole time. When you’re out in the garden, the noise is just incredible, you can’t relax in your own home, inside or outside.

‘We’re in a very quiet area, the hum of the blades and the turbine gear mechanism will pierce any double glazing or insulation that you have. It’ll penetrate doors, walls. It just gets under you. Particularly at night, you can hear it in your sleeping quarters. I’m a light sleeper and once the noise gets in your head, that’s your night’s sleep gone.’

In addition to the noise, the couple have to contend with the constant flickering which is caused by the turbine’s blades passing in front of the sun. ‘The first year, it was uncontrolled, so as soon as the sunlight hit, it would go right through one end of the house to another. It’s like having strobe lighting in your house, it’s actually physically sickening,’ said Mr Hickey.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/04/14/our-quality-of-life-has-gone-we-cant-sleep-for-the-noise/