Irish Wind Energy Association

13 June, 2014

Global Wind Day IRELAND

It’s that time again! Global Wind Day 2014 is taking place on Sunday 15th June, with thousands of events organised across the globe. Global Wind Day is coordinated by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) to raise awareness of wind energy and it's potential. 

Last year was a great success, and this year sees wind farms across Ireland hosting an array of events to celebrate wind energy. The activity dates vary and some are hosting public wind farm open-days so that families can learn about wind energy and see the turbines in operation themselves, whilst others are inviting schools for fun, games and facts on wind.

This year we have wind farm open-days, and schools events happening across the country. Check out the map and see the listing below to find your nearest event.

Gortahile Wind Farm, Co. Laois.

Opening date & time: Saturday 21st June - from 10am to 1pm
What’s happening: Walk and Talk session up to the turbines with information.
Description: Guides will meet the public at the entrance of the windfarms to escort visitors on a ‘Walk and Talk’ of the windfarm.  Basic level of walking fitness required. Children welcome. Visitors will be able to see the turbines up close and information leaflets will be given out on the day.
Meeting place: Meet at the entrance between the second and third turbines -  Map available here 
Organiser: ABO Wind.
Who’s the contact: ABO Wind 01 6636133

Gibbet Hill Wind Farm, Co. Wexford.

Opening date & time: Saturday 21st June - from 10am to 1pm
What’s happening: Walk and Talk session up to the turbines with information.
Description: Guides will meet the public at the entrance of the wind farm just off the R746 to bus visitors up to one of the turbine locations in the wind farm. Children welcome. Visitors will be able to see a turbine up close and information leaflets will be given out on the day.
Meeting place - On Gibbet Hill we would ask the public to park on the access road at the entrance to the wind farm just off the R746.  A bus will bring interested members of the public to the highest point of the Wind Farm.
Organiser: ABO Wind.
Who’s the contact: ABO Wind 01 6636133

Greenoge Wind Farm, Co. Carlow.

Opening date & time: Saturday 14th June – Meeting at wind farm entrance at 2pm and 4pm.
What’s happening: Walk and Talk session up to the turbines with information.
Description: Guide will meet the public at the entrance of the wind farm and bring visitors on a ‘Walk and Talk’ tour of the wind farm.  Basic level of walking fitness required. Children welcome. Visitors will be able to see the turbines up close and hear about their operation.
Meeting place: Note nearest parking is at Kilbranish Wood and then there is a 2km walk along the woodland trail to the entrance of the wind farm where at the designated times you will be met by Warren.
Organiser: Greenoge Wind Farm Ltd.
Who’s the contact: For any questions email Warren Deacon waadeacon@gmail.com

Beallough Wind Farm, Co. Waterford.

Opening dates & times: 7th June between 2pm and 4pm & 8th June between 2pm and 4pm.
What’s happening: Walk and Talk session up to the turbines with information.
Description: Chance to see the two wind turbines up close and learn about how they operate.
Organiser: Tornado Electrical Ltd.
Meeting place: Entrance gate to the windfarm at Beallough, Portlaw.
Who’s the contact: Robert Helley rhpmltd@gmail.com 051 294610 / 0872574705

Ballincollig Hill Wind Farm, Co. Kerry.

Opening date & time: 11th June, between 1pm and 3pm.
What’s happening: Walk and Talk session up to the turbines with information.
Description: Open session to see wind turbines and learn about wind farm operation.
Organiser: Trá Investments Ltd
Meeting place: Meeting point will be Ballincollig Hill Sub Station
Who’s the contact: Trá Investments Ltd 066 7121084

Carrickatane Wind Farm, Co. Tyrone.

Opening date & time: Tuesday 17th June, 4pm.
What’s happening: Guided walk of the wind farm for schools and a public walk from entrance.
Description: Guided walk of the wind farm for schools with a guided public walk from entrance at 4pm.
Organiser: ESB
Meeting place: Booking required, please contact the organiser in advance.
Who’s the contact:  Tel: 01 702 6777 Majella.McCarron@esb.ie

Raheen Barr/Derrynadivva Windfarm, Castlebar, Co Mayo.

Opening date & time: 12th June, 4.00pm to 7.00pm.
What’s happening: Walk and Talk event.
Description: Guides will meet the public at the entrance of the wind farm to escort visitors on a ‘Walk and Talk’ of the windfarm lasting approx. 2 hours.  Basic level of walking fitness required. Children welcome. A turbine will be open for inspection.
Organiser: EcoPower
Meeting place: For directions email office@ecopower.ie
Who’s the contact: Phil Kenealy 056 7750140

Rahora Wind Farm, Tullogher, Co. Kilkenny.

Opening date & time: 15th June, 2.00pm to 5.00pm.
What’s happening: Walk and Talk event.
Description: Guides will meet the public at the entrance of the wind farm to escort visitors on a ‘Walk and Talk’ of the windfarm lasting approx. 2 hours.  Basic level of walking fitness required. Children welcome. A turbine will be open for inspection.
Organiser: EcoPower
Meeting place: For directions email office@ecopower.ie
Who’s the contact: Phil Kenealy 056 7750140

Sorne Hill Wind Farm, Co Donegal.

Opening date & time: 18th June at 6.30pm.
What’s happening: Opportunity for the community to visit the wind farm. Bord Gáis Energy staff on hand to explain how the turbines work and how clean, renewable energy is generated. Children welcome.
Description: Community Open Day. A bus will take community members who would like to attend to the wind farm site and back to Buncrana.
Organiser: Bord Gáis Energy
Meeting place: A bus will be departing at 6:30pm from the public car park next to Buncrana library
Who’s the contact:  Liz Casey 021 490 7239 or 087 784 2374

Bawnmore Wind Farm, Co. Cork.

Opening date & time: 18th June, 2pm.
What’s happening: Walk and Talk session up to the turbines with information.
Description: Visitors will be met at the main entrance by David who will accompany them around the wind farm showing them the turbines and the layout. He will also give some general information.
Organiser: Enerco Energy
Meeting place: Meet at the main entrance, point 1 on the map here  on the Macroom to Ballingree road, turn right at Cappuleen Bawn Cross (Knocknagappul) and the entrance is 2.5km on the right.
Who’s the contact:  For further information contact info@enercoenergy.ie, 021-7336034.

Knocknagoum Wind Farm, Co. Kerry.

Opening date & time: 19th June, 2pm.
What’s happening: Walk and Talk session up to the turbines with information.
Description: Visitors will be met at the main entrance by David who will accompany them around the wind farm showing them the turbines and the layout. He will also give some general information.
Organiser: Enerco Energy
Meeting place: Meet at the main entrance, point 2 on the map here 1km south of Lyracrompane.
Who’s the contact:  For further information contact info@enercoenergy.ie, 021-7336034..

Leitir Gungaid Wind Farm, Co. Galway.

Opening date & time: 20th June, 2pm.
What’s happening: Walk and Talk session up to the turbines with information.
Description: David will meet visitors at the main entrance and accompany them around the wind farm showing them the turbines and the layout. He will also give some general information.
Organiser: Enerco Energy
Meeting place: Meet at the main entrance, point 3 on the map here 1km west of Barna Golf Club.
Who’s the contact:  For further information contact info@enercoenergy.ie, 021-7336034.

Hollyford Wind Farm, Co. Tipperary.

Opening date & time: 10th June - from 11am to 4pm
What’s happening: Learn about the turbines and renewable electricity from Energia staff and there will be face painting and turbine painting.
Description: Energia staff will meet visitors and bring them on a tour of the wind farm. There will be face painting, turbine painting and goody bags as well as information for parents and teachers.  Basic level of walking fitness required. Children welcome.
Organiser: Energia
Meeting place: At the wind farm entrance.
Who’s the contact:  To register for attendance email Cian Connaughton at cian@mkc.ie

Slieve Kirk Wind Farm, Co. Derry.

Opening date & time: June 12th, 10.30am
What’s happening: Eco-Schools Global Wind Awards and Wind Farm Visit.
Description:  Following the success of the inaugural SSE Airtricity and Eco-Schools Global Wind Awards, SSE Airtricity are once again inviting more than 30 Eco-Schools from across Northern Ireland to showcase their environmental achievements from over the last year. The event is a centrepiece of the 2014 Global Wind events, the annual celebration of wind energy, its power and the possibilities it holds to change our world. The awards will be presented by everyone’s favourite weatherman, UTV’s Frank Mitchell. The morning programme for the event will commence at 10.30am with an awards presentation to this year’s Operation Energy winners. After the awards presentation they will host an important and informative Energy Panel Discussion between young Eco-Schools champions and representatives from the worlds of politics, corporate life and education on the future of energy in Northern Ireland.Following Luncheon, guests are invited to join us and our Global Wind Awards winners for a visit to SSE Airtricity’s nearby Slieve Kirk Wind Farm, where they will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of a wind turbine accompanied by SSE Airtricity’s wind farm generation team.
Organiser: SSE Airtricity
Meeting place: For further details contact the organiser.
Who’s the contact: Josh.Bradley@sserenewables.com

Carn Hill Wind Farm, Co. Antrim.

Opening date & time: June 19th
What’s happening: Opening for school visit of approximately 40 children, between the ages of 8 and 12.
Description: Informative tour to the wind farm site and the chance to see and learn about the wind turbines.
Organiser: Gaelectric and ABO Wind
Meeting place: By invitation only - For further details contact the organiser.
Who’s the contact:  Nick Cullen -  NCullen@gaelectric.ie

Carn Hill Wind Farm, Co. Antrim.

Opening date & time: June 24th
What’s happening: Wind farm site visit for members of the Smart Eco-hub and students from Belfast Met College enrolled on the wind turbine operations and maintenance diploma course
Organiser: Gaelectric
Meeting place: By invitation only - For further details contact the organiser.
Who’s the contact: Nick Cullen -  NCullen@gaelectric.ie

Ballycurreen Wind Farm, Co. Waterford.

Opening date & time: 13th June
What’s happening: Local Primary schools visit.
Description: Students from local primary school are invited to visit the wind farm and will be shown on the day how the turbines work and how renewable energy is generated.
Organiser: Windsource in conjunction with Rathnameneenagh Energy Ltd
Meeting place: On invitation.
Who’s the contact: Darina Hannan darina@windsource.ie

Richfields Wind Farm, Co. Wexford.

Opening date & time: 24th June  10 am to 3 pm
What’s happening: Visit by local primary schools to the wind farm.
Description: Local primary school students will see and learn about how a wind farm operates. Expert guides from SSE Airtricity will show the children and teachers around the wind farm and explain all about how the wind turbines operate and answer questions about renewable electricity generation.
Organiser: SSE Airtricity
Meeting place: By invitation
Who’s the contact:  Anne Reynolds anne.reynolds@sserenewables.com