A planning application has been lodged seeking permission to construct a large-scale solar energy farm on 86 hectares of private land in rural south Galway. Titled Shessy Solar Farm, the project, put forward by renewable energy developer BNRG, would span the townlands of Cahercarney, Shessy North and South, and Lydacan.
The site, located west of the M18 and straddling the L4518, is described in the planning application as low-lying pastoral land suitable for solar development due to its proximity to the national grid. According to planning documents, the proposed facility would “generate up to 70 megawatts of renewable electricity, enough to power approximately 11,000 homes”, and include a battery energy storage system (BESS ) to store excess energy for release during peak demand.
Plans detail ground-mounted solar panels, 12 medium-voltage stations, fencing, six storage containers, six turning bays, and three temporary construction compounds. Construction is expected to begin between 2027 and 2028, lasting nine months, with a further three to six months for commissioning. Once operational, the facility would have a lifespan of 40 years before a six-month decommissioning and site restoration phase.
According to the developer’s environmental report, agricultural activity such as sheep grazing would continue during the farm’s operation. The company said it would implement mitigation measures to protect wildlife, including bats, badgers, and birds, with residual ecological impacts assessed as “low magnitude.” Eight of Ireland’s nine resident bat species were recorded on site, prompting design adjustments to enhance local habitats.
The application also includes flood risk and biodiversity assessments, as well as public consultation records. Concerns raised by residents centred on traffic management, visual impact, noise, and administration of the Community Benefit Fund. The company said access to local properties would remain open and disruption would be minimal.
However, objections have been submitted citing potential breaches of environmental law and risks to the nearby Coole-Garryland Complex Special Area of Conservation (SAC ). One formal objection argues that the development lies within the foraging range of protected bat habitats and that its environmental assessments are incomplete, particularly regarding overwintering birds and karst hydrology typical of south Galway. The submission also claims the project could harm the Burren Lowlands’ landscape character and tourism economy.
Further issues raised include insufficient flood modelling, noise and visual intrusion for nearby dwellings, the risk of spreading invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed, and the absence of detailed cumulative impact assessments given other renewable energy projects proposed nearby.
If granted, permission would cover a ten-year development period with the farm operating for four decades. The proposed Shessy Solar Farm is just one of several planning applications for solar facilities lodged by BNRG across the country. In May this year, BRNG sought planning for a 52-hectare solar farm on the Laois-Kildare Border. In July, the company applied for planning permission for a 109-hectare solar farm in Co Longford, and just this week, BNRG lodged plans for a 30-hectare solar farm in Co Kerry.
Galway County Council is expected to decide by mid-November, while a separate application for the associated 110kV grid connection will be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
