Farmers eye wind-farm option

Kilrush-based solicitor Joe Considine believes West Clare farmers and landowners might not be aware of the value of their land, which renewable energy companies may be seeking to rent or buy off them.

He added that a number of wind energy companies have approached farmers in the region with a view to establishing wind farms on their property but that farmers should be wary of committing themselves to any contract without consulting with their solicitor.
“With the farming industry suffering in the current economic climate and with weather patterns deteriorating, farmers are jumping at the opportunity to secure alternative sources of income. The worry is that they commit to contracts that they don’t fully understand,” Joe Considine, of Hassett Considine Solicitors, said.
“It would be very disappointing for the farmer to find himself committed to an arrangement where he’s not getting what he should be getting. A farmer is entrusting his land to something and someone that he may not know a whole lot about, so it is important that he find out as much as possible about them. If he doesn’t do this, he could lose in the long run,” the Cooraclare man added.
Considine noted that, since Hassett Considine Solicitors opened for business in Kilrush, they have dealt with a number of farmers who sought advice, having been contacted by wind energy companies.
“We’ve acted for a couple of groups of landowners who have committed their land to wind farm development. It’s a niche area that we have developed into.
“We’ve developed an expertise in advising land owners who are negotiating with wind energy companies or are in the process of committing their land to such projects,” he said.
In broad terms, Mr Considine is certain that opening an office in Place de Plouzane (Brew’s car park), Kilrush was a wise move despite the recession.
He is joined in the practice by Quin man, Darragh Hassett who is the litigation partner. Orla Normoyle is in charge of the front office.
“When you see the likes of Tesco and Aldi moving here, it has to be a good sign of an area. Both Darragh and I believe there is opportunity in Kilrush and West Clare,” he said.
The former Clare footballer feels that Kilrush’s future development will be driven by the marina rather than the traditional market town element of the West Clare capital.
“When we opened back here first, we would have thought that Kilrush was growing when other towns were maybe grinding to a halt. The town was being faced towards the marina and developments like the one we are in were creating the modern office and retail space that the town badly needed. Unfortunately, the recession does seem to have affected that slightly in that developments, like in every other town in this country, have slowed and sales have slowed,” he said.
“But once it picks up again, I think that the development down there in the marina will be a key factor. There are businesses in the Merchant’s Quay development that I know are enthusiastic as we are about ours and I think in time you will see more business in these areas. Developments like the one we’re in have freshened up the town and while it’s going to take a while to generate an awareness of where these businesses are, I think it will happen,” Joe Considine concluded.