And blow it will. Free and unharnessed. At least over Lough Derg in Donegal, site of St. Patrick's Purgatory, also known as Station Island, destination for pilgrims for the past 1,500 years.

In 2004 alone, 30,000 pilgrims from all over the world visited St. Patrick's Purgatory.

The ESB, Electricity Supply Board, which more than fifty years ago built a hydro-electric scheme that ruined a legendary salmon and trout fishing river in Ireland, the Erne, has recently been refused planning permission to build a 12-turbine wind farm on the shores of Lough Derg.

The ESB had been granted permission by the Donegal County Council to go ahead with the wind farm. Mercifully, An Bord Pleanala, the national planning authority, has overruled the Council, much to the relief of the Friends of Lough Derg and An Taisce, the body responsible for heritage sites.

Because such a project would visually and audibly interfere with the traditional penitential practices of pilgrims, the Friends of Lough Derg fought to preserve the quiet natural surroundings, and An Taisce appealed the County Council's decision because of the significance of the site as a nature conservation area.

The ESB, through its subsidiary, Hibernian Wind Power Limited, sought to erect the 12 turbines, on towers measuring up to 65 metres in height, with 42-metre rotor blades attached to each, on a plateau overlooking the lake.

In giving its reasons for upholding the appellants' submissions, An Bord Pleanala agreed that the development would be a visually obtrusive feature which would adversely affect the tranquillity and setting of Lough Derg.

According to people in Donegal, for some perverse reason the ESB always strives to overlook the environmental aspect of its projects, both completed and projected, in the county. In the case of the original Erne Scheme, the long-term effects on the local tourism economy have been nothing short of disastrous.

It will be recalled that in May, 2000, Donegal County Council granted planning permission to the Electricity Supply Board to erect 100 kilometres of 110KV pylons through West Donegal. The Alternative to Pylons (ATP) Group, Coiste Timpeallachta Ghaoth Dobhair and An Taisce made separate submissions to An Bord Pleanala to hold an oral hearing to voice their objections and these were held in December, 2000. On July 2nd, 2001 the Board made its decision known and firmly rejected the ESB's proposals on the a number of grounds, including the following:

The route of the proposed lines runs around the west and north-west of the county on a long course extending over approximately 100 kilometres. It crosses many areas of scenic value, including areas designated in the country development plan as category 2 and category 3 'highly scenic landscape areas' with existing or proposed 'natural heritage designations' which are considered to be of national importance. The proposed development by reason of visual intrusion and disturbance would have significant adverse impacts on the amenities and ecology of the area and on the value of these areas for tourism

The proper planning and development of the area requires that the infrastructural needs of the area should be satisfied in a manner that minimizes adverse effects on the environment so that the positive contribution of any such development to the economy of the area and the well being of its population more than offsets any such adverse effects.

Readers wishing to learn more about the Lough Derg experience should access "A pilgrimage for all ages" in the July 2003 issue of the Canadian Vindicator e-zine.

The quotation in the heading to this article if from a well-known Shakespearean sonnet, the opening lines of which are:

Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
    As man's ingratitude.

The ESB's ingratitude to the good people of Donegal, whose environment it has damaged for decades, is seemingly without limits.

Why local authorities continue to bow the knee to the ESB is beyond comprehension. Next time the ESB comes a-calling, beware. Its track record in dealing with Ireland's "paradise" is abominable.

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