Opponents of a controversial pylon project have vowed to continue fighting the development.

299 pylons will be built across Cavan, Meath and Monaghan, as part of Eirgrid’s North-South Interconnector project.

Locals have raised concerns over health, house prices and the effect to the environment – with calls for the pylons to be put underground:

But former Minister for Communications, energy and natural resources Pat Rabbitte says that isin’t cost effective: “The Government that came to office in 2011 pledged to do a report on the alternates, to technically meet the requirements here.

“And it found that the cost of underground would be approximately three and a half times this proposal.”