SSE has set aside about €150,000 this year for community initiatives in North Cork, channelled through its Coomacheo and Curragh wind farms located between Ballyvourney and Millstreet.

The money will be distributed via the long-running Local Community Fund and a newly created Major Projects Fund designed to deliver lasting benefits across the region.

The Local Community Fund will continue to back smaller community initiatives, while the Major Projects Fund is intended for larger proposals with the potential to provide long-term gains for local communities.

Priority themes include community development, energy efficiency, sustainability and climate action, and safety.

Applications to both funds are open now and close at 5pm on Tuesday 6 October 2026. Organisations may apply for projects within a 20km radius of the Coomacheo and Curragh wind farms, with preference for those situated within 5km.

For the Major Projects Fund, SSE is inviting transformative projects with budgets exceeding €20,000 that aim to improve local infrastructure, landscape, biodiversity, heritage, or sports and recreation facilities. Successful projects must be deliverable within 20 months.

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Since 2009, SSE has invested more than €2 million in local projects around the Coomacheo and Curragh wind farms.

A recent beneficiary, Millstreet GAA, secured support in 2025 to install a solar PV system as part of a broader retrofit of its dressing room facilities, transforming the building into a modern, energy-efficient and accessible community space.

SSE's Coomacheo and Curragh Community Fund financed solar panels and a battery storage system, cutting energy costs and strengthening resilience. The system lets the facility operate during power outages, so it can continue to serve as a community hub for club teams, local organisations, schools and community groups.

Gillian O'Sullivan, Secretary, Millstreet GAA, said: "The support from the SSE Community Fund has helped us complete an important part of our wider redevelopment of the dressing room facilities. The new solar and battery system will help make the building more energy efficient and resilient, while ensuring it can continue to serve not just our GAA teams, but also the many local organisations, schools and community groups that use the facility."

Anne Reynolds, SSE Renewables Community Investment Manager, said: "For many years, the SSE Community Funds have supported local groups around Ballyvourney and Millstreet to deliver projects that make a real and lasting difference in their communities.

"This year we are pleased to be making around €150,000 available to North Cork community groups. We're also delighted to be establishing a new Major Projects Fund alongside our established Local Community Fund. Together, these funds will support projects of all sizes, from grassroots community initiatives to larger-scale projects with the potential to create lasting benefits across North Cork. We now look forward to receiving applications and continuing to build partnerships with the communities closest to our North Cork wind farms."

Full details on eligibility and how to apply are available online, or email SSE's Community Investment Manager at [email protected].

Coomacheo and Curragh entered commercial operation in 2009. With a combined capacity of almost 60MW, the wind farms can generate enough green energy to power around 40,000 homes annually.