The answer to Impact of giant turbines on Kilkenny tourism is not blowing in the wind.

The massive explosion of green energy projects all over the country do not only have an impact on
the social and environmental lives of the people who live in close proximity.

It also has a massive impact on the historical and scenic landscapes on our horizons.

These proposed large wind turbines, are installed, topped with red blinking lights and large sweeping
turbine blades, distorting the landscape aesthetic.

Less than 8km from one of the most visited tourist’s city’s in Ireland, where people from all over the
world come and cast their tourist gaze.

Not only over the famed medieval streetscapes so wonderfully represented in the recent film by
Cartoon Saloon called “The Wolf Walkers”

These tourists and locals who contribute millions of euro’s to Kilkenny city and county, also cast that
tourist gaze over the horizons looking for unspoiled landscapes an increasingly rare commodity.

Tourists crave the unspoiled and natural landscape indeed it is probably one of the most important
attributes of a tourist destination. These industrialised wind turbines are of particular shape and
structure and they break up the landscape destroying the view for not only tourists but for those of
us who live locally.

Imagine standing in the rose garden in Kilkenny castle or walking up parliament street our taking the
time and effort to climb Canice’s tower only to be confronted by these incoherent structures in the
near distance

We urge you to consider the impact on our historical, ecological and our close to nature aesthetic.

With this drive by local tourist agencies of promoting local crafts, the made in Kilkenny group, the
stable yards in Castlecomer or the world renowned Kilkenny design centre. All this good work in
promoting the small scale local enterprise, local ecology, local skills committing what is called a
technological landscape guilt.

Detracting from Kilkenny as a tourist destination rather than enriching it. Creating a conflict between
the tourist expectation and the local reality. The secret of successful tourism is to get the tourist to
return this can only be achieved in a such a place as Kilkenny by using all our strengths and not
shooting ourselves in the foot for short time gain, by allowing the installation of these industrial size
turbines.

For further info in relation to turbines and impact on tourism Click here