With a greater number of isolated properties in Ireland than in England, and hence fewer problems with suitable distancing from other properties, I would have thought that there is more potential in small wind turbines than in England.
We have a small set of panels and a 5kW turbine, the ratio of cost of the two being about 1:5. Today the power generated ratio has been about 1:20 and this is a fairly average comparison where we are in the Pennines. I would think the conditions in Ireland would be similar.
Our heating is all electric using an air-source system. Bearing in mind that the house can require up to 100kw hours in a day in the depths of winter (cold wet weather with higher wind speeds increases the heating demands - that and Christmas day cooking!) a grid connection is needed, but a relativly small battery has a considerable effect on smoothing out the highs and lows of the demand from the grid.

Robin