Community engagement in the Lough MacNean area
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GEMINI Project activities at Lough MacNean

Work in the cross-border area of Lough MacNean is a unique strand of the GEMINI project. As a deliberative democracy programme, its purpose is to facilitate respectful and ‘bottom up’ engagement on local awareness and understanding of geothermal energy, supporting the communities as they shape what happens in their area.

Although GEMINI has collected information at a national level on the awareness and perception of geothermal energy, work here will refine this at a more local level.

The GEMINI Project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). PEACEPLUS promotes the opportunity for a ‘Programme for citizens to raise awareness and understanding of the benefits of geothermal heating solutions.’ The GEMINI project will deliver on this by creating an opportunity for the communities of the Lough MacNean area to examine related community initiatives. This is the only border region for which this opportunity has been provided and will build on previous community engagement activities in the area.

Discussions will feature the potential benefits of geothermal energy, the perceived and real risks associated with geothermal energy, and provide clarification on the practical steps and decision-making processes involved in deploying geothermal energy systems at a local and community level. With a focus on social science, no physical work such as drilling or on-site fieldwork will be undertaken here as part of the GEMINI project.

From early 2026, engagement in the Lough MacNean focus area will involve dialogue, workshops and meetings with members of local communities, sharing tools and information about energy needs in the area, as well as potential solutions. In the context of the GEMINI Project, this will focus on geothermal energy.

A central objective is to ensure local communities have the opportunity to consider all information available about potential geothermal energy options, including the processes involved. This will ensure they are in a strong position to make an informed decision about the suitability of moving forward with any future geothermal project as part of a community-led initiative.

Crucially, if the community opts against progressing any geothermal opportunities, they will not be progressed. That is the fundamental design and spirit of a deliberative democracy programme.

At the end of the project’s deliberative democracy process, a report on the final social science outcomes (and any technical solutions, such as geothermal heat pumps, heat networks, etc, that are discussed with the communities) will be produced and publicly available. Should communities express an interest in progressing a future geothermal project, this report could prove helpful in securing funding.

 

What are the aims of these community engagement processes?

 The format for engagement that GEMINI partners will use aims to:

  • Understand perceptions of geothermal energy at a community level;

  • Appreciate how communities wish to be involved in, and benefit from, the energy transition;

  • Build knowledge and capacity to support community leadership and engagement in the energy transition;

  • Use the learnings and findings from each process to develop recommendations for local authorities, government, planners and stakeholders who wish to be involved in geothermal energy projects on the island of Ireland.


Project partners

As part of the broad GEMINI project, the specific work around the Lough MacNean area of counties Cavan, Fermanagh and Leitrim is being led by independent Think Tank for Action on Social Change (TASC), with support from the Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN) on specific engagement processes.

ICBAN is the cross-border partnership of local authorities, and which works for the area known as the Central Border Region. This includes the Council areas of Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon, Cavan, Donegal, Fermanagh and Omagh, Leitrim, Mid Ulster, Monaghan and Sligo.

In addition to community engagement in the Lough MacNean area, TASC will also work with local communities in Dublin and Belfast at the GEMINI demonstration sites to develop site-specific, community-led engagement. The locations have been selected to represent a range of settings from city centre, to industrial parks, to a rural border area with existing, innovative cross-border, clean energy communities.

Community engagement in the Lough MacNean area

FAQs
What does ‘engagement processes’ mean?

This includes a range of communications methods that are adapted to best suit the audience. These could be one-to-one interviews, surveys, town hall/public meetings, etc.  
What is the purpose of this work? 
 To gather all local opinions in an open, transparent way and share information in the clearest way possible. We are also trying to increase curiosity about this type of energy, which will help us provide the information communities will find most helpful, ultimately supporting informed decision-making by communities.
What is the formal description of a ‘deliberative democracy programme’?

A deliberative democracy programme is a structured process where a broadly representative group of people can come together to learn, discuss, and weigh evidence on an issue before collectively shaping recommendations or decisions. It emphasises informed, inclusive and respectful dialogue, ensuring that decisions arise from thoughtful deliberation rather than simple opinion‑polling or majority voting. Authentic deliberation is placed at the centre of this approach.
Is this just a way to convince people to accept geothermal energy?

No. This work is about identifying the best methods to engage with communities and share information effectively so that they can either take ownership of a local project, or decide collectively that it is not the best option locally to progress. It is about informed decision making. 
Is GEMINI trying to impose geothermal energy on the community? 
 No. The GEMINI project does have a role in generally raising awareness and promoting geothermal energy, but we recognise that any energy solution needs to be the best option for all those who will be impacted in any way. Not all solutions suit all communities.
Are you trying to buy or access land as part of the community engagement?
 No. GEMINI is a temporary 4-year project with 15 partners, mostly in the public and academic sectors. The community engagement work within the GEMINI project includes (a) research into the best engagement methods and (b) a series of meetings and information sharing events. It does not include scientific fieldwork or testing - for information about the technical and scientific work being undertaken, please check our Demonstration Sites. 
Is this project trying to support shale gas development?
 No. Shale gas exploration is in no way connected to the GEMINI geothermal energy project.  Geothermal energy is a low carbon energy solution that will help communities replace the need for fossil fuels for heating and cooling. It captures natural heat and uses it as renewable energy, so that we can move away from fossil fuel use.
 

The GEMINI project partners are very aware and respectful of the sensitivities of local communities to shale gas fracking, and particularly in the areas of Fermanagh, Leitrim and Cavan. Therefore engagements with communities and stakeholders as part of GEMINI are focused on geothermal opportunities to support those communities to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and ensure the environment is protected. 
Where is GEMINI carrying out drilling?
 GEMINI is only carrying out drilling and physical geothermal energy system installations at the Demonstration Sites (Sligo, Dublin, Belfast). The only ‘deep’ (>500m) drilling is taking place in Dublin.

Get involved!

Interest in geothermal energy is growing and we’re keen to connect with individuals and communities who would like to be part of the journey. If you would like more information about GEMINI’s work, or to be kept informed on the status on any of these surveys, please let us know.
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