SSE is making around €150,000 available this year to support community projects in North Cork through its Coomacheo and Curragh Wind Farms between Ballyvourney and Millstreet.
The funding will be distributed through SSE’s long-established Local Community Fund and a newly established Major Projects Fund designed to support lasting community benefits across the region.
The Local Community Fund will continue to support smaller-scale community initiatives, while the Major Projects Fund will now provide support for larger-scale projects with the potential to deliver lasting benefits for local communities.
The wind-powered fund supports projects focused on community development, energy efficiency, sustainability and climate action, and safety.
Applications for both the Local Community Fund and Major Projects Fund are now open and will close on 6 October 2026. Organisations can submit applications for community-based projects within a 20km radius of the Coomacheo and Curragh Wind Farms, with preference given to projects located within 5km of the wind farms.
Organisations are encouraged to submit transformative projects that deliver long-term local development and sustainability benefits for North Cork communities. Projects must be larger in scale with a budget of more than €20,000 and should aim to improve or enhance local infrastructure, landscape, biodiversity, heritage, or sports and recreation facilities. All successful projects must be deliverable within 20 months.
Since 2009, SSE has invested more than €2 million in local projects in the vicinity of its Coomacheo and Curragh Wind Farms.
One previous recipient is Millstreet GAA, which secured funding in 2025 to install a solar PV system as part of a wider retrofit of its dressing room facilities. The retrofit transformed the building into a modern, energy-efficient and accessible community space.
SSE’s Coomacheo and Curragh Community Fund supported the installation of solar panels and a battery storage system, helping reduce the facility's energy costs and improving its energy resilience. The new system allows the facility to operate independently during power outages, enabling it to continue serving as a community hub when required. The upgraded facility continues to serve GAA teams as well as 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 criteria and how to apply are available here. Alternatively, please email SSE’s Community Investment Manager at communityfundireland@sse.com. Applications are open now and close at 5pm on Tuesday 6 October 2026.
SSE’s Coomacheo and Curragh Wind Farms entered commercial operation in 2009. With a combined generation capacity of almost 60MW, the Coomacheo and Curragh Wind Farms can produce enough green energy to power around 40,000 homes annually.