Stonestown/Cloghan families living through mental torture caused by wind turbines

Independent TD for Offaly, Carol Nolan, has said that families in the Stonestown/Cloghan area are being subjected to “what can only be described as a prolonged form of mental and physical torture arising from excessive wind turbine noise, vibration, and operational practices that are clearly incompatible with basic public health standards.”

Deputy Nolan confirmed that she has personally reviewed the detailed noise diaries kept by affected households.

She described them as “a harrowing record of suffering and a diary of mental and physical torture that no family should ever have to endure.”

The diaries, which span months of daily entries, reveal a relentless pattern of sleep deprivation, physical pain, emotional distress, and severe disruption to family life:

“The families contacting me report being awake for hours every night due to loud turbine noise, describing constant humming, heavy vibration through the house that intensifies during certain wind conditions,” said Deputy Nolan.

“My constituents also repeatedly note that turbines slow down or stop during official monitoring periods, only to return to full speed immediately afterwards. Families describe nights of relative quiet while testing equipment is present, followed by a sudden return to “roaring” noise once the equipment is removed.”

Deputy Nolan said this raises serious questions about the integrity of monitoring processes and whether they accurately reflect normal operating conditions.

“I have been highlighting this specific aspect of the problem through parliamentary question since October 2025, where I highlighted the absence of meaningful enforcement and the severe health impacts being reported. I am particularly alarmed that constituents have been left waiting almost six months for communications with Statkraft’s contractors.”

 “It is beyond comprehension that families who are reporting nightly suffering are left waiting half a year for basic mitigation measures.”

Deputy Nolan added that the evidence provided by constituents is overwhelming and demonstrates that the turbines are not operating in a manner consistent with public health protection or planning compliance. She said the situation is now a serious “public health failure that I will not allow to be ignored.”

“I will be raising the matter again in the Dáil and directly with the Minister for the Environment, the EPA, and Offaly County Council. No family in Ireland should have to live like this. The State has a duty to protect people from harm from multinational operators who clearly have an entirely different set of priorities,” concluded Deputy Nolan.