Fáilte Ireland has ‘serious concerns’ about siting and scale of proposed development

Ellen O’Riordan, Irish Times

Hilary Tully, Patrick McGivney and Judy Sheridan objected to the planning application sought by Kiernan Milling. Photograph: Alan Betson

On a clear day, a person standing atop Granard Motte will be able to see five lakes, nine counties and three provinces of Ireland.

Recently, the sod was turned on the land below (known as the Bailey) for what will become the town’s prize attraction, a Norman heritage park. The €3.8 million tourism investment aims to make the Longford town of Granard – which is currently a busy throughway to the north – a place to stop and explore.

However locals fear a proposed 169m wind turbine will cast an anachronistic shadow over their Norman village.

Patrick McGivney (30), who has grown up in the town, believes the industrial structure will undermine years of grassroots effort to develop the area into a destination.

“We are not known as a tourist town, but that is the vision. There are big dreams here,” he says. “Now to see all that work and effort to have that potentially undermined by a structure this size is really worrying.”

Don’t miss information like this. Click to receive free EP Blog updates