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Saint Finbarr's Oratory chapel in Co Cork. Alamy Stock Photo

Community group wins campaign to prevent wind farm from being set up in West Cork

Coiste Forbatha Bheal Átha an Ghaorthaidh had been pursuing legal action against An Bord Pleanála in relation to the proposed wind farm.

A COMMUNITY GROUP in Gougane Barra, in west Cork, has succeeded in its campaign to halt plans to erect seven 178.5m high wind turbines immediately south of the tourist destination and less than three kilometres from the iconic St Finbarr’s Oratory in the Lee Valley.

A ‘Save Gougane Barra’ public appeal raised over €60,000 towards the costs of community committee Coiste Forbatha Bheal Átha an Ghaorthaidh in fighting the legal case against the proposed wind farm.

The committee had indicated that the turbines would have been “visible from the Gougane Barra skyline, altering the magic and tranquility of this unique place of peace and pilgrimage forever.”

The group had been contesting a decision by An Bord Pleanála to overturn a decision by Cork County Council to refuse a planning application for the Wing Leaf Ltd turbine wind farm.

At the end of April, leave was given to appeal An Bord Pleanála’s decision through a judicial review in the High Court.

In a statement the campaigners said that the planning authority has indicated that it will not be continuing its defence of a legal action brought by the group, to contest An Bord Pleanála’s decision to overturn Cork County Council’s planning permission refusal.

Campaign spokesman Neil Lucey of the Gougane Barra Hotel expressed his delight at the result.

“We feel that justice has been done, common sense prevails, and democracy (is) restored in this situation. We thank the people locally, nationally and an internationally, who believed in us, supported us and were also there. We wish to recognise the great work of Joe Noonan of Noonan Linehan Carroll Coffey LLP and their legal teams for an outstanding effort.”

Over 12,000 people had signed a petition in opposition of the project on Change.org with campaigners saying that the international support they received played a huge part in sustaining the impetus they needed in order to have this positive outcome. Individuals from 42 countries had signed the petition.

Meanwhile, Cork County Council’s original refusal of permission for the wind farm stated that it would “provide for a highly intrusive, visually domineering form of development that debases the integrity and the landscape character.”

However, when granting permission to the €30 million project in February, An Bord Pleanála said that the wind farm would make a positive contribution to the implementation of Ireland’s national strategic policy on renewable energy and its move to a low energy carbon future.

The planning authority said it did not agree that the proposed development would detract from the existing character of the area.

The planned development would have led to the construction of the highest ever wind turbines in Co Cork.

Supporting infrastructure would have included a 38kV electricity substation, battery banks, quarries, deforestation, access roads, site draining and widening of an access junction on the Shehy Mountains overlooking Gougane Barra.

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    Mute Great White Hope
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    May 13th 2022, 10:55 AM

    So many jokes here.. ahh

    243
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    Mute Jason Flynn-Wall
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    May 13th 2022, 10:57 AM

    @Great White Hope: way too many.

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    May 13th 2022, 11:12 AM

    @Great White Hope: I won’t fall into that trap….

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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    May 13th 2022, 4:47 PM

    @John Mulligan: will try my best not to either.

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    Mute Fr Romeo sensini.
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    May 13th 2022, 11:08 AM

    And yet we still re elect them.

    189
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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    May 13th 2022, 11:15 AM

    @Fr Romeo sensini.: as Dermot Morgan said during the hey day of satire on Scrap Saturday – the hardest thing about writing humour about our politicians in leinster house is that the reality of what goes on is such a joke shop it’s difficult to make stuff up that funnier

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    Mute Theresa Cahill
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    May 13th 2022, 11:47 AM

    What kinda of a pension do they get?
    At least they are turning up on a daily basis

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    Mute John Johnes
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    May 13th 2022, 10:56 AM

    Arent rats mice and slugs working in leinster house?

    129
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    Mute John Mulligan
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    May 13th 2022, 11:12 AM

    @John Johnes: you’ll have to do better than that

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    Mute Stephen Carslake
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    May 13th 2022, 11:00 AM

    Sure we have known for years its full of RATS and leaks.

    108
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    Mute Ciaran
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    May 13th 2022, 11:55 AM

    @Stephen Carslake: Sinn Fein won’t stand for that .. they will find a bog for them somewhere ..

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    Mute john maughan
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    May 13th 2022, 12:10 PM

    Workers also found sloths, snakes, cheetahs, several white elephants and a cockortoo.

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    Mute Ernie Gallagher
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    May 13th 2022, 11:56 AM

    You regularly read of restaurants closed down for less.

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    Mute Andy mc Laughlin
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    May 13th 2022, 11:08 AM

    How many legs do the rats have?

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    Mute l
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    May 13th 2022, 11:16 AM

    Pay peanuts get monkeys, pay to much get Rodents & sluggss.

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    Mute Anthony Kielthy
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    May 13th 2022, 11:43 AM

    And that was before they checked for vermin !

    52
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    Mute Munster1
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    May 13th 2022, 11:13 AM

    That’s not a very nice thing to say about our TD’s.

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    Mute Sumsoar Khan
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    May 13th 2022, 10:59 AM

    Waterford Whispers?

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    May 13th 2022, 1:01 PM

    I’m sure they felt right at home.

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    Mute Jonathan
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    May 13th 2022, 11:50 AM

    I knew about the rats

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    Mute Sarah Roche
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    May 13th 2022, 12:00 PM

    Only 6 months??? Are we sure about that?

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    Mute Caitlin Far
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    May 13th 2022, 1:01 PM

    Them and then there’s the politicians.

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    Mute Martin O Connell
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    May 13th 2022, 11:39 AM

    Shurr there’s been a massive SF infestation, there’s no getting rid of them.

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    May 13th 2022, 1:03 PM

    @Martin O Connell: Correct they are there to stay:)

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    Mute JAMES KELLY
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    May 13th 2022, 1:40 PM

    Will they have to apply for re-election ?

    11
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    Mute Catherine Doyle
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    May 13th 2022, 2:03 PM

    I’m sure they felt at home

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    Mute James Delaney
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    May 13th 2022, 1:58 PM

    This is just to easy

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    Mute M
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    May 13th 2022, 12:55 PM

    We all have to have a crack at a few one liners. Come on people

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    Mute Ger O'Reilly
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    May 13th 2022, 12:29 PM

    That’s no way to talk about our TD’s

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    Mute Csilla
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    May 13th 2022, 3:42 PM

    This headline is actually very funny and hits the nail on the head.

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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    May 13th 2022, 4:47 PM

    Ah cmon lads. The most clickbaity piece I have ever seen in the Journal and that’s telling something.

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    Mute John Quill
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    May 13th 2022, 9:50 PM

    I pity the rodents

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    Mute Helen Kiely-O'Regan
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    May 13th 2022, 6:49 PM

    Sure leinster house is full of them already, the rats, mice and slugs will have to move elsewhere. Better still, leave them, they won’t cost the country any money in salaries and pensions

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    Mute Connie O Reilly
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    May 13th 2022, 7:05 PM

    At least they appear for what they are

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    Mute Padraig Thornton
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    May 14th 2022, 5:48 PM

    Id say they feel quite at home!!

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    Mute Hear me now
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    May 14th 2022, 6:33 AM

    The jokes just write with that headline

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