Offshore renewable energy was the focus of His Excellency, Uffe Balslev, Ambassador to Ireland from Denmark, on a visit to Wicklow on Tuesday (17th May).
The Ambassador was on a fact-finding mission to Wicklow and expressed a particular interest in visiting Wicklow Harbour to find out more about work being carried out in the offshore renewable energy sector.
Wicklow County Council works closely with Codling Wind Park and SSE Renewables, along with other agencies in this domain.
The Ambassador was welcomed by Cllr Gail Dunne, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow Municipal District, along with Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, Mr Brian Gleeson. Following lunch in Sorrel and Eve, the Ambassador visited the recently opened Wicklow Library where he viewed the state-of-the-art library facility and the Wicklow Harbour area. Ms. Catherine Wright, Archivist, also provided a brief tour of the National Archives’ exhibition The Treaty, 1921: Records from the Archives. Cllr. Dunne presented the Ambassador with a book on the subject “Wicklow and the War of Independence”
The group moved to Wicklow County Council where they were welcomed by Cllr Shay Cullen, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, and Ms Christine Flood, Senior Executive Officer, who provided an update on the development of the offshore renewable energy sector in County Wicklow.
To mark his visit, Cllr Cullen presented the Ambassador with a print by Anna Nielsen, a Danish artist who chose to make Ashford her home.
The Cathaoirleach also encouraged the Ambassador and his team to return to Wicklow to “explore all that Wicklow has to offer from our 6th Century former monastic site at Glendalough to the magnificent National Botanic Gardens at Kilmacurragh, the world renowned Powerscourt Gardens or perhaps you will be among the first to try the newly developed Beyond the Trees at Avondale, when it opens during the Summer. The Wicklow Passport also signposts some of our lesser-known hidden gems for you to discover and enjoy as you “stamp your journey”.
Mr Brian Gleeson focussed on strengthening the links between Denmark and Wicklow advising “collaboration between Denmark and Wicklow goes back over a thousand years. We learnt a lot from you then and would love to learn more from you as exemplars in local government and public administration, in renewable energy, and in areas such as anaerobic digestion”.
