Limerick comes to a standstill as ‘slow drive’ flags wind farm fears

LIMERICK city centre was brought to a standstill over the weekend, as a major protest took place against wind farms planned around the county.

Eighty vehicles, including a number of tractors were involved in the demonstration, which came about after communities across rural Limerick united in opposition to the planned introduction of turbines in their area.

People met outside the Limerick Greyhound Stadium at Dock Road, before progressing through the city centre, and ending up at the council’s offices at Merchant’s Quay.

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Here, they met Mayor John Moran, who pledged to support their campaign.

The Limerick Communities Alliance are drawn from Coolcappa, Creeves, Newcastle West, Bruff, Bruree, Dromin and Athlacca.

Their slow drive protest in the city was the first of a series of events they are holding to oppose the development of wind farms across the region.

The demonstration aimed to highlight community concerns about the impact of industrial wind farm developments on public health, local environments, and rural quality of life.

A spokesperson for the group said: “People were very supportive, coming to us offering their backing. They were shocked. To see big tractors coming through the city centre, it was a different thing! We had signs stuck on the front of the tractors.”
When the protestors arrived outside City Hall, they met a number of councillors representing areas set to be impacted by proposed wind farms.

In this number were councillors Brigid Teefy, plus Greg Conway and Tommy O’Sullivan who represent the Cappamore-Kilmallock district alongside Cllr John O’Donoghue of the Adare-Rathkeale area.

Mayor Moran, who was holding meetings in his offices at City Hall on that day, also came and addressed the group.

He said he can give their concerns “visibility”, but stressed decisions on planning applications “are not my function”.

He did pledge to raise the matter with council director general Dr Pat Daly, however.

In September, Limerick councillors unanimously backed a motion calling for all current and future wind turbine planning applications to be referred to the HSE for investigation.

Members said planners in the local authority do not have the expertise to adjudicate on matters purporting to impact human health.

However, members of the community alliance have alleged this has not happened.

Mayor Moran said he would intervene and ask the question.

“Insofar as Government is making decisions that have a bearing on Limerick, the Mayor of Limerick unlike in any other local authority has a right to write to that Government department to ask them to explain their policy,” he said.

“What we want to find out here is a solution that works for the majority of people. These are communities I care about so I need to know how do we collectively understand this,” Mayor Moran added.

He promised to share any communication from the HSE as a result of his intervention.