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According to the Mayo News, planning appeals board An Bord Pleanala has not granted permission for the Euro 25m project that would be based in Killala.
The windfarm would have generated 23 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 17,000 homes.
However, concerns over the visual impact and residents’ anxieties over the proposals have led to the plans being scrapped.
This comes despite the fact that planning permission was granted by the local council and was backed by the Western Development Commission and local investors.
John Gilvarry, director of the Killala Community Windfarm group, expressed his disappointment at the decision.
“In Denmark 85% of windfarms are community-owned,” he told the paper.
“We [in Ireland] have the second best wind potential and we should harness this resource to create a more sustainable rural Ireland. Other rural areas can learn from this.”
A feasibility study was launched last week to investigate the possibility of creating an interconnected wind and wave power grid to supply energy to Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
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