Calls for ‘common sense’ to protect popular Kilkenny site
Concerns have been raised over the impact of the Curraghmore Renewable Energy Project on the Inistioge area
The Protect Inistioge’s Environment group, has warned that a planning application for an eight turbine windfarm adjacent to Woodstock Gardens could materially damage the Gardens’ historic setting, the tranquility of the visitor experience and the tourism potential of the planned New Ross-Woodstock Greenway.
“The Greenway and Woodstock are more than tourist sites,” said Patrick Croke, spokesperson for the group. “They are places where families connect with Irish landscape and history.”
“Replacing those quiet vistas with looming turbines risks turning living heritage into a backdrop for industrial infrastructure,” he added.
Protect Inistioge’s Environment said that Kilkenny County Council and local partners have invested substantial time and resources to develop Woodstock as a high-value visitor destination and to link it to the planned Greenway, which is set to benefit Inistioge, its local businesses and the surrounding communities.
The group added that it fully supports the Greenway and homegrown renewable energy, but cautions that the Curraghmore Renewables proposal, placing eight large turbines immediately adjacent to Woodstock could erode the very qualities that attract visitors: quiet, scenic and historic landscapes.
“If turbines intrude into the Gardens’ key views and riverside walks, we risk harming local businesses, reducing overnight stays and undermining the long-term viability of the Greenway,” Mr Croke asserted.
“We support renewables,” he added, “especially now, with the fuel crisis, but rolling them out across Ireland without a clear national strategy and robust siting rules risks trading one insecurity for the permanent loss of landscapes and places that make Ireland unique.”
“Renewable policy must include strong regulations, strategic planning and careful siting so climate action does not erase heritage, landscape and the local community economies.”
Protect Inistioge’s Environment called for a renewables strategy that includes firm protections for irreplaceable cultural and natural sites, binding clear setbacks, and prohibition on locating industrial-scale turbines where they intrude on treasured gardens, historic vistas and community lifeways.
“Protecting Woodstock is not anti-progress; it is common sense. If Ireland is to be proud of its green transition, that transition must conserve the landscapes and places that make Ireland unmistakably Irish,” Mr Croke outlined.
The group’s submission to Kilkenny County Council regarding the Greenway requests robust, site-specific evidence before any route or permission is finalised.
Requested protective measures include route options that avoid direct sightlines to turbines from terraces, picnic stops and key viewpoints, significant setback buffers and enforceable monitoring conditions including funding for mitigation or promotion should visitor numbers be affected.
Construction impacts are an additional concern to the group. With an anticipated multi-year build period it says, heavy vehicles, noise and temporary closures could disrupt access to the Gardens and the future Greenway, affecting visitors and local businesses during a crucial development phase.