Community rejects Burren energy project

BALLYVAUGHAN and Fanore residents overwhelmingly rejected proposals for a multi-million euro energy development in a public vote on Tuesday night.

The vote was open to local people, owners of local businesses and owners of holiday homes.
Prior to the vote, Maurice McCarthy, director of Organic Power, gave an assurance to the Ballyvaughan Development Group that the company would not proceed with an evaluation of the project without the community’s approval.
Voting on two points, they were asked if they would support the proposal for a seawater pumped hydroelectric energy storage scheme on Gleninagh Mountain, as put forward by Organic Power Ltd and secondly, would they approve allowing the company to conduct a year-long baseline study of the project.
The community, by an overwhelming majority, said no in both votes. Three hundred and forty-four people voted no to both options; 15 voted yes to one part and no to another, while just 28 voted yes to both.
Voting was held over three hours and many people leaving the hall told The Clare Champion they were completely against the proposals. While numerous voters were approached, not one said they backed the proposals.
Seventy-seven-year-old Tom Tarpey said he was vehemently opposed to the proposal. “I think it would be a shame, an absolute shame. In the SAC area, which it is, you can’t grow a head of cabbage or you’d be prosecuted and you’d be breaking European law and so on. The idea of coming in and blasting the whole mountain is outrageous.”
Sean Tyrell said he was also against the proposal and didn’t believe that promises of substantial funding for the local community would come to anything.
“When Mullaghmore was going ahead they were talking about this, that and the other but if it went ahead, the village of Corofin wouldn’t have sold one ice-cream, because they would have been bussed in like at the Cliffs of Moher. The local community gets nothing out of the Cliffs of Moher. This is always the sop to the community. It never happens, it never works for the community.”
Melanie and Michael O’Donoghue said they too voted against the proposals. The couple live in Gleninagh and as they left the hall, Melanie said they were worried about the impact the proposed development could have on them.
“We live right under it. There’s quite a few families there and we’d be quite concerned. We’re farming and all our animals drink the mountain water, which is fresh and we’d be afraid of contamination for our staff.”
The final results were announced before a group of around 30 people at around 10.30pm on Tuesday and were greeted with much clapping and cheering.
Chairman of the Ballyvaughan Community Development Group Patrick O’Donoghue said that it had been an emotive issue and he hoped there would be no more about it.
“People are very emotional about where they live and especially in the Burren. They get very upset if people come in and try to destroy where they live and like an animal they might feel they’re being cornered. We had this democratic consultation tonight and hopefully this is the end of it.”
He said the turnout had been around 60%, a figure that was quite high given that voting only ran for three hours on a sodden, weekday evening. “It’s good for the middle of the week, with people away working and people who have holiday homes not here either.”
On a personal level, he said he was quite glad that the community had come out against the proposal. “I believe the Burren is a special place and we have to mind that special place. I hope that anything that’s ever done in the future will be done in consultation with the people of the Burren. Deep in my heart I love the Burren and I’m happy the Burren won’t be destroyed.”
Mr O’Donoghue said that he believes the company will honour the commitment not to proceed with the evaluation.
Organic Power were contacted for comment on Wednesday but no response had been received at the time of going to press.