But the battle over Coolglass Wind Farm has become a question of who decides Ireland’s future: the courts or the Government? Climate law, he ruled, was powerful enough to override a local council’s ban. Last month, the seven judges issued their verdict: Humphreys was right to quash the refusal for the wind farm, and climate law does create real obligations. Climate law isn’t a silver bullet, nor is it just one factor among many. The Coolglass judgment’s value lies in what it acknowledges: the climate law isn’t a solution for Ireland’s climate policy failures.

Source: The Irish Times March 15, 2026 09:52 UTC