Lemanaghan wind farm group hands in opposition letter to Bord na Móna 

The Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group held a peaceful protest on the evening of Tuesday August 13th last at the Bord na Móna Information Clinic about Lemanaghan Windfarm. The protest took place at Ballycumber Community Centre.

The group, along with several local councillors and Deputy Carol Nolan, expressed their deep concerns about the lack of what they called “genuine consultation” with the community regarding the future of their beloved bog.

During the protest the group handed in a formal letter of opposition addressed to Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables.

The letter, signed by Chairman Seamus Corcoran and Secretary Ciara Egan, outlined the group’s firm opposition to the wind farm proposal while also stressing the importance of early public consultation on alternative uses for the bog.

The letter pointed out that under the Aarhus Convention, public participation should occur at the earliest stage of environmental decision-making. The group emphasised their willingness to engage in discussions about alternative proposals but insisted that these consultations be inclusive and transparent. A copy of the letter was also sent to the CEO of Bord na Móna, Tom Donnellan.

It was pointed out during the protest that the group firmly believes that the public should be “genuinely consulted on the future of Lemanaghan Bog, with a focus on exploring a range of options that reflect the community’s desires and needs. Instead of being presented with information on a fully prepared plan to construct a wind farm of 15 giant wind turbines, the public should have been given the opportunity to participate in shaping the bog’s future from the outset. What Bord na Móna has offered is not true consultation. It’s merely the dissemination of information, which falls short of engaging the community in meaningful dialogue.”

During the evening, Cllr Hughie Egan criticised Bord na Móna’s approach, stating, “The community are outside, and you are in here; that is not consultation.”

Cllr Seán O’Brien, Cllr John Clendennen and Cllr Frank Moran were all in attendance during the evening. Martin Buckley, who ran as a candidate during the recent local elections, also showed his support for the group’s cause.

The group praised Deputy Carol Nolan for “standing in solidarity with us during the protest. Deputy Nolan has consistently supported the people of Lemanaghan and is committed to working closely with the community to ensure their voices are heard in any decisions regarding the future of the bog.”

Cllr Seán O’Brien reaffirmed his commitment to raising the issue with Offaly County Council.

James Scully, another speaker at the protest, spoke about the historical significance of Lemanaghan, referencing its unique archaeological importance, which has been documented in books such as “The Archaeology of Lemanaghan: The Story of an Irish Bog” by Ellen O’Carroll and Caimin O’Brien’s “Stories from a Sacred Landscape: Croghan Hill to Clonmacnoise.”

The protest also featured a passionate speech from Kieran Keenaghan, who warned of the environmental consequences of building wind farms on peatlands. He showed images of Clongowney Bog, in South Offaly, where roads were constructed on the wetlands to facilitate wind turbine installation, leading to significant damage. Kieran urged the community to prevent similar destruction at Lemanaghan, stating, “Building wind farms on peatlands needs to be stopped in the Faithful County.”

The Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group told The Midland Tribune that they 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 a more inclusive consultation process and open a dialogue on alternative uses of the bog with the local community.”

This is the group’s letter which was delivered to the company: “Dear Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables,

We are writing to express our opposition to the proposed Wind Farm Development at Lemanaghan Bog. While we strongly oppose the construction of a wind farm in this area, we remain open to engaging in consultations regarding alternative uses for the bog.

Under the Aarhus Convention, it is essential that public participation occurs at the earliest possible stage in decision-making processes related to the environment. We believe that the consultation on the future use of Lemanaghan Bog should be expanded to consider all possible alternatives, and the public should be fully involved in these discussions.

We have made it clear that we do not support the development of a wind farm in Lemanaghan Bog. However, we are committed to actively participating in any consultations that explore alternative proposals for the site. We are prepared to engage constructively in discussions that consider a range of options for the bog’s future, ensuring that the community’s voice is heard and respected.

We are requesting that the consultation on the future of Lemanaghan Bog be as inclusive as possible, allowing for full community participation. We believe this should take place in our local community centre, where the public can gather and engage as a group in an open, public meeting. This approach ensures that everyone has the opportunity to ask questions and express their concerns collectively, rather than in a drop-in clinic format, which we believe could lead to misunderstandings and a lack of transparency. We are fully prepared to provide the necessary facilities and equipment to support this important community dialogue.

We look forward to your response and hope that Bord Na Móna will take our concerns seriously by initiating a comprehensive and inclusive consultation process.

Following the protest Deputy Nolan told the media that she will continue to strongly advocate for the Lemanaghan community and its supporters “following confirmation from Bord na Móna that it means to proceed with the development of a highly controversial planning application that will result in the construction of up to 15, 220 metres high wind turbines on the archaeologically important bog in north-west Offaly.

“The proposed wind farm is tantamount to archaeological vandalism of the worst kind. Despite thousands of written objections; despite clear opposition by the local community and despite abundant evidence of the potential for long term and irreversible archaeological damage, Bord na Mona and its partners SSE Renewables have decided to proceed with this project. I find this deeply alarming and indeed symptomatic of a wider general contempt for communities that is taking root across the country, irrespective of the issues involved.

“I found it absurd and almost laughable when Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables informed me earlier this month that ‘the joint venture partnership is fully committed to continuing to inform and engage with you and the local community through an active communication programme’.

“This kind of meaningless verbiage appears deliberately designed to conceal complete industrial indifference to local communities and I for one will not stand back and tolerate that.

“I will continue to do all that I can to shine a light on this unwanted and unloved planning application and I will certainly work to ensure that the voices of local communities, such as Lemanaghan are heard,” Deputy Nolan said.