Residents of Gurteen, County Sligo, voiced unanimous opposition to a proposed wind turbine at Riverstown at a public meeting on Thursday night, October 22, 2025, with many saying they had never been told the project existed despite living beside the site.
Planning permission for the single turbine was granted by Sligo County Council in 2024 to Riverstown Locally Owned Turbine Limited, a company registered in Kinsale, County Cork, according to the
Irish Independent
. An appeal against the decision by local man Tony Murray was rejected by An Coimisiún Pleanála.A community wind farm without a community
The meeting in Gurteen Parish Hall was organised as part of the Recode project, a government-funded initiative run by Dr Thomas Van Rensburg, an environmental economist and senior lecturer at the University of Galway, alongside renewable energy consultant Declan Collins, who is spearheading the project. Its stated purpose is to explore how communities can collaborate with experienced developers on renewable energy schemes.
From the outset, the mood in the hall was one of anger. When Dr Van Rensburg asked whether anyone present had the ownership model explained to them, the reply came back in unison: no. Asked whether anyone in the community wanted the turbine at all, the answer was again a firm no. Not one hand was raised when attendees were asked whether they had spent an hour or more in dialogue with Mr Collins.
Dr Van Rensburg acknowledged the problem. That is an issue, he said, adding that he had arrived under the assumption the model had already been explained to residents.
Residents raise concerns over noise and property values
One woman listed the fears driving the opposition: noise, flickering, sleep disturbances, harm to wildlife, and the impact on a nearby equine farm. Property values could fall by up to 15%, she said, before adding that backing the project would be like a turkey voting for Christmas.
Another resident questioned the independence of the consultation itself, suggesting the exercise was ticking a box for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland rather than genuinely listening to locals. A third was blunt about the financial arrangements, which rely on financial institutions that must be reimbursed. There is one financial gain and that is to the person who sent you here, he said. All the community will be left with is the disposal bill.
One man warned that the developer had a fight on his hands, pledging that locals would block the road with lorries and tractors.
Councillor says planning was granted on a misconception
Cllr Michael Clarke told The Sligo Champion after the meeting that the planning permission could have been granted on the basis of incorrect information. He said calling the development community led when no pre-planning consultation took place was a misconception from day one, and that residents are absolutely 100% against both the plan and the ownership model.
Mr Collins attended a meeting in the area three months ago but has never genuinely engaged with the community, Cllr Clarke added, saying locals have no confidence in his ability to communicate the information they need.
Support for renewables, but not this way
Importantly, the hostility is not to wind energy itself. When Dr Van Rensburg asked for views on renewable energy in general, the reaction was positive, and residents were careful to separate the technology from the process. One attendee said there is a place for wind energy, just not outside people's houses. Another suggested developers should fix the 55% of turbines not working at a nearby wind farm before building any more.
The frustration in Gurteen mirrors a pattern seen elsewhere. In East Galway, a father of four has raised fears for his children's health over a proposed wind farm, and pointed to outdated national wind energy guidelines as a source of frustration for residents, Ireland Live reported. Further afield, communities in Sri Lanka have blamed wind turbines for falling fish catches and flooding, according to the Malay Mail, fuelling opposition to green energy projects there.
Why community ownership matters
For anyone who believes in a just transition, and this outlet does, the lesson from Gurteen is uncomfortable but clear. Renewable energy will only succeed in rural Ireland if the people who live beside the infrastructure genuinely share in its benefits and its decisions. A company registered in Cork, fronting a community label, securing planning permission before a single local conversation, is not community energy. It is developer energy wearing a borrowed coat.
The residents of Gurteen are not climate sceptics. They are people asking for the basic respect of being asked first. The green economy will be built with them or it will be built against them, and on the evidence of October 22, it is currently being built against them.
FAQ
What is the Riverstown wind farm project in Gurteen?
It is a single wind turbine proposed by Riverstown Locally Owned Turbine Limited, a company registered in Kinsale, County Cork, which received planning permission from Sligo County Council in 2024. An appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála failed.
Why are residents of Gurteen opposed to the wind turbine?
Residents cite noise, flickering, sleep disturbance, wildlife impacts, and property devaluation of up to 15%, along with the fact that they were never consulted before planning permission was granted.
Who organised the public meeting in Gurteen?
The meeting on October 22 was organised as part of the Recode project, led by Dr Thomas Van Rensburg of the University of Galway, a government-funded initiative examining collaboration between communities and renewable energy developers.