Wind turbines in Donegal have killed three white-tailed eagles in less than a year, according to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
The birds of prey were fatally injured by wind turbines in Killybegs and Inver between October 2024 and May 2025.
Two tagged male eagles were killed by the same turbine in the Anarget Windfarm on Meenacloghspar, Inver. The third eagle, a female, was killed by a turbine at Cornacahan near Killybegs in November 2024.
Post-mortem examinations carried out under the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s (NPWS) RAPTOR protocol found evidence of broken bones consistent with turbine strikes, but no signs of poisoning or gunshot.
The incidents, a report claimed, cast doubt on the collision risk modelling used in a planning application for eight wind turbines at Graffy near Glenties.
An Bord Pleanála’s 2023 decision on the Cuilfeach Teoranta appeal was quashed by the High Court earlier this year, leading to the reactivation of the appeal by An Coimisiún Pleanála
If approved, the Graffy wind farm would involve the construction of new turbines across Graffy, Meenamanragh, Dalraghan More, Glenties, Meenagrubby, Tievebrack Banganboy, Stracashel, Drumconcoose, Drumnalough, and Lugaveen in County Donegal.
The turbines would have a maximum tip height of between 149.4m and 149.6m.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage revealed the details of the eagle strikes in a report which stated concerns over the location of the proposed Graffy windfarm and its proximity to the location of previous eagle strikes.
“The Department is concerned that the location of the proposed wind farm is not a suitable location due to a number of factors, including the high quality habitat and obvious use of the area by both of the eagle species,” it said.
It said that known eagle strikes cast doubt on the validity of the collision risk modelling, which predicted just 0.09 collisions per year — equivalent to one bird killed every 10.8 years.
The Department also stated that the turbines which killed the three birds were considerably smaller than those proposed at Graffy.
White-tailed Eagles, once extinct in Ireland, were reintroduced under a conservation programme beginning in 2007. To date, 245 chicks have been released into the wild. The chicks are satellite-tagged so that their progress can be followed.
South Donegal is an important and active area for White-tailed Eagles. There is a known White-tailed Eagle nest in the Bluestack Mountains, which successfully fledged a chick in both 2024 and 2025. There is another breeding territory in the Ardara area.
The actual bird mortality rate may be higher than recorded, the Department said, as the deaths of untagged eagles may go unrecorded if removed by scavengers.
The Department also raised concerns about Golden Eagles, noting that the proposed site lies between two breeding territories of the species. Ireland’s entire Golden Eagle population consists of just five breeding pairs, all in Donegal.
Donegal County Council Planning Authority’s submission to An Coimisiún Pleanála reiterated its stance that Wind Energy production on the site in question is ‘Not Normally Permissible’ under the County Donegal Development Plan 2024-2030.
Three white tailed eagles killed by wind turbines in South Donegal was last modified: October 2nd, 2025 by Staff Writer
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