OPINION: Windfarm proposed 'in my back garden' in Kilkenny has me worried for my son

Less than three months ago, I moved into a gorgeous little house just outside of the village of Inistioge in County Kilkenny. 

Myself and my partner had been going to viewings and scouring Daft.ie for over a year before coming to see the house we are currently in. 

In the beginning we weren't sure but after a few more visits up and some revamping ideas, we decided to make an offer. 

It's small, but there's only three of us (we have a lovely little baby boy) and there is so much garden space to expand in the future if we wanted to.

Everything seemed so perfect and I was really enjoying making the space ours and planning for what the future here would look like.

However, roughly three weeks ago now, I made a horrifying discovery.

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While scrolling through Facebook looking for potential story leads, I came across a post in a group called 'www.Inistioge.ie' that outlined how a company called Empower Renewables are currently in phase two of planning for a windfarm. 

I had not heard anything about phase one of this project that will basically be in my back garden.

I live on an intersection between a main road and a back road with a forest area called 'Mount Alto' right behind me. 

This is where the company is hoping to put the giant turbines. 

The windfarm will cover an area of roughly 294 hectares, just 3km from the village of Inistioge and 10km from Mullinavat. 

The number of turbines that Empower Renewables hopes to put on top of Mount Alto has not been outlined, but after learning about infrasound, I think one would be enough for me to not want it there. 

Infrasound is a type of sound that is below the range of human hearing and although it cannot be heard, it can travel long distances. 

Studies have shown that your body can feel infrasound even if you cannot hear it and it can affect your sleep and mood. 

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As someone who has a one and a half year-old that still doesn't sleep through the night, any added disturbances to a good night's sleep are not welcome. 

I have also read that infrasound can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and decreased concentration.

The issue is that if you were to go to a doctor, they do not know what is wrong, but these effects have been linked to infrasound from wind turbines. 

This is something that worries me for myself but particularly for my baby, who is realistically only starting his life. 

I do not want to raise him in an area that can have these effects on him at such a tender age. 

We bought the house because of its rural location; being close to nature and the safety of being secluded from busy roads and multiple people was important for us when considering where to raise a child. 

It feels as though that is being stripped away when I think about how many different people, vehicles, and unknown materials will have to pass by our house to put these giant man-made structures on top of such a natural and almost untouched beauty spot. 

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I cannot say with confidence that we still would have bought the house had we known this information and to be honest, when I think deeply about it, I don't believe we would have. 

As much as I am all for renewable energy and supporting the environment, I have learned that wind turbines are not as eco-friendly as we might think. 

So much earth, micro-organisms, trees, plants, and other living creatures will have to be destroyed and killed to fill the ground metres deep with cement that forms the base of the turbine.

This makes me question the positive impact they really have. 

There's also already turbines less than a 15-minute drive away from my house in Mullinavat, so in my opinion, there is no need for more, especially not that close.

At the moment, I do not want this to go ahead and there is little that could be said or done to change my mind. 

I know others in Inistioge and the surrounding areas feel the same.

I do hope that we can fight this but I don't even know where we begin, and after hearing some horror stories about the debt that locals get into trying to fight these big companies, it does leave me feeling slightly hopeless. 

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I imagined my whole future in the home that we are in now. 

I imagined a future for my son running through trees and building forts or camping with his friends as he grows up. 

All of these hopes and dreams feel like they are being ripped away and I have no control over it. 

What's heartbreaking is if we knew this before buying the house, we could have made the decision to buy elsewhere.

Because of our contract with the bank, we cannot sell the house for two years, during which time I expect works will have commenced on the windfarm and the value of the house will have already decreased quite a bit. 

Empower Renewables are aiming to have their planning application submitted by the summer of next year. 

The company says it will continue to engage with the community to ensure the details of the project are fully understood. 

I don't think a lack of understanding of the project is the issue here but more so the lack of understanding from windfarm companies of the local people being directly affected by their presence.