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Blackthorn Solar Farm Limited has applied to build a solar farm on approximately 93 hectares in two land parcels near Lackagh and Knockdoe.
The application includes solar panels, electrical equipment, access tracks, fencing and cabling.
The 93 hectares is the overall development area, not the area covered by panels.
The wider project also includes a proposed substation beside the walking trail.
View the Council applicationSee the two proposed land parcels, covering approximately 93 hectares in total, beside local roads and amenities. Use the numbered key to find the school, church, walking trail and proposed substation, and to distinguish vehicle entrances from the underground cable corridor.
Numbers identify locations, with short leader lines pointing to them. The dashed brown line highlights the interconnecting cable corridor; it does not show a vehicle route. The applicant also provides temporary cable-construction access drawings at the R354.
The application identifies the N83 and L21332 entrances for construction and operation. Delivery routes are shown in the traffic report, PDF pages 13–14. Appendix A shows the entrances and cable-construction access, PDF pages 49–52.
The electrical layout shows the cable route and proposed substation (PDF). Substation and grid-connection details in this drawing are supplied for information; they are outside the Council solar-farm application. The highlighted corridor is an orientation aid, not a survey or a drawing of every cable.
The church and school are labelled on the original Council base map. Sport Ireland’s walking-trail map shows the trail beside the northern parcel.
Red outline: subject lands. Blue outline: lands under control. Black crosses: site notice locations. Dotted rectangles: the areas covered by the two detailed sheets.
The proposal would change how land near Lackagh and Knockdoe is used. Here are three parts to understand before making your views known.
Solar panels, fencing and electrical equipment are proposed across two land parcels. The overall development area is approximately 93 hectares.
Check the boundary and proposed planting to understand where changes could be visible from nearby homes and roads.
Building the solar farm would involve construction activity, deliveries and site access.
If you use the surrounding roads, check the proposed entrances and construction arrangements, and explain any relevant local experience in your submission.
The applicant places a proposed 110 kV substation in the field immediately north of the Claregalway GAA walking trail at Knockdoebeg West.
It says this part of the wider project requires a separate planning application.
Source documents: Planning Statement (PDF) and Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, page 35 (PDF).
The applicant describes an overall development area of approximately 93 hectares across two land parcels. The red outlines show the subject lands. The 93 hectares does not mean every part would be covered by panels.
The solar farm application includes associated electrical equipment, access tracks, fencing and cabling. The Planning Statement describes the proposal.
The applicant seeks a ten-year permission period to put the development in place and a separate 40-year operating life. These periods have been requested, not granted. Read the explanation and source.
The applicant proposes a 110 kV substation and grid connection as part of the wider Blackthorn project. It describes them as necessary to connect the solar farm to the national electricity network. See the Planning Statement, section 1.2.
The applicant’s Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment places it in the field immediately north of the Claregalway GAA walking trail at Knockdoebeg West. See the submitted assessment, page 35.
No. The solar farm application is before Galway County Council. The applicant says the substation and grid connection require a separate application to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
The Council currently lists 20 October 2026 as the closing date for submissions on application 26/61567. A formal submission goes directly to the Council. Follow the submission guide for the times, fee and steps.
A planning submission is your letter to the Council about the proposal. You can explain what you support, what you object to and what you want the Council to examine.
Online submissions close at 11:59 p.m. Email, post and in-person submissions must arrive by 4 p.m. All times are Ireland time.
Check the live Council record before sending your submission.
Check the official recordThe proposed parcels sit near local homes and roads, and the wider project places a substation beside the Claregalway GAA walking trail.
If you live nearby, travel these roads or use the trail, your knowledge of the area can help the Council understand how the proposal relates to everyday life here.
See the proposal in detailSee the proposed location, scale and official application documents.
Read what’s proposedChoose relevant topics in the builder, add your own words and save your letter.
Build your submissionSubmit the letter yourself and pay the €20 fee. The guide explains the sending options and deadlines.
How to send your letterOur final two drop-in clinics are on 17 and 18 October, 10am–4pm, in the office above Flynn’s of Lackagh SuperValu.
Need help with your Blackthorn Solar Farm submission? Drop in upstairs at Flynn’s of Lackagh SuperValu. No appointment needed.
A Lackagh resident calls for clearer solar planning rules and meaningful community consultation.
You can help neighbours find the plans, share public updates or offer time and local knowledge. Get in touch to join the group or volunteer.
Need help preparing your submission? Objection-writing workshops are being planned following the public meeting.
