Clare County Council grants permission for wind farm grid connection works at near Bridgetown, Co. Clare

In context

It is one of 4 wind energy applications Clare County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 61 nationally. Of the 85 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 74% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 19 March 2026. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Clare County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

the proposed development, on an overall site of 3.58 hectares, will consist of: A co-located Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Compound with associated internal access tracks; Access to the proposed BESS compound will be from the R466 local road and will consist of the use of an existing quarry entrance in the townland of Leitrim which will be upgraded as permitted as part of the Fahy Beg Wind Farm (under Clare County Council Ref: 23148 & ACP Ref 317227); Installation of grid code compliance equipment to facilitate an under-the-fence connection to the adjacent Fahy Beg 38kV substation. The grid code compliance equipment will include: Backup Generator, Neutral Earthing Resistor (NER), Auxiliary House Transformer, Marshalling Kiosks; 3 no. spare parts shipping containers (measuring 12.2 m (L) x 2.4 m (W) x 2.6 m (H)); and Associated ancillary development. Installation of 32 no. Battery Energy Storage Units comprising metal shipping containers housing batteries (measuring 6 m (L) x 2.4 m (W) and 2.9 m (H) each), and associated ancillary control and ventilation units; Installation of 8 no. Medium Voltage (MV) Inverter Stations comprising metal shipping containers housing the inverter, MV transformer, and an MV-LV room (measuring 6 m (L) x 2.4 m (W) and 2.9 m (H) each); Installation of 1 no. water storage tank (measuring 5.15 m (L) x 4.15 m(W) x 2.58 m (H)); Construction of 250m of new access tracks; Provision of a crane hardstanding area to facilitate lifting operations on site (280m2); Provision of 10 no. car parking spaces (8 no. standard parking spaces, and 2 no. accessible parking spaces); Reprofiling of the existing cut slope embankment with the erection of a gabion basket retaining wall measuring 75m in length and 2.5m in height, and construction of a reinforced fill slope embankment; Underground electrical and communications cabling; Security lighting, CCTV and communications mast; Provision of 150m of Sound reflective barriers; Security fencing and gates; Drainage system including on-site surface water attenuation ponds; Tree felling of 0.19 Ha (1,890m2) to facilitate required clearance for BESS compound, associated earthworks and drainage infrastructure; Removal of 109m of hedgerow to facilitate development of the BESS compound, and replanting of 109m at perimeter locations; and All associated ancillary site development and vegetation clearance works including landscaping and hedgerow reinstatement. The Applicant requests that the development be