There is a recent article in Wind Power Monthly that  is much more informative than the troll based stuff:

http://www.windpowermonthly.com/news/1057892/Wind-energy-deliver-€100-million-savings-ireland-2 020/

And since Ireland is so darn windy, why stop at 45%. Why not go for the whole glass of that fabled stout instead of leaving it 45% full on the table (isn't that against natural law?). What we haven't heard much about is pumped hydro storage in Ireland, possibly utilizing ocean water and those decent sized cliffs, such as the Cliffs of Moher:

http://www.cliffs-moher.com/

Sufficient pumped hydro should allow pretty much all of the electricity to be supplied with wind energy, though for Ireland, tides and waves could also play a part.

It's so analogous to where I used to live, on Michigan's north coast, which is, believe it or not, rockier than that part of Ireland, and just about as windy and with humongous pumped hydro energy storage capability.... And since both places have had most everything of value not impressively welded in place (bolts would just get unscrewed) long since stolen/swindled/bargained away... well, there is that point in common, too.

Nb41