SSE Airtricity presents over €120k to community groups in Cavan and Monaghan

SSE Airtricity, Ireland’s largest renewable energy provider, has handed out more than €120,000 to community groups close to its Bindoo and Gartnaneane Wind Farms in Co. Cavan, and Mullananalt Wind Farm in Co. Monaghan.

This year’s presentation took place at the Lavey Community Centre in Poles, Co. Cavan on Tuesday 24 July, with a total of 47 local groups receiving funding, including schools, sports clubs and community centres.

Through its Community Fund programme, SSE Airtricity makes annual contributions to community groups in the vicinity of its wind farms. The company has been awarding funding to local projects in Cavan and Monaghan since 2006, and this latest presentation takes its overall contribution in the counties to over €1.3 million.

Corduff Raferagh Community Association in Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, will be putting this year’s contribution towards installing new energy-efficient gas boilers at the local community centre. Joint Chairperson of the Community Association, Peadar Marrow, said: “Corduff Raferagh Community Centre was built in the early eighties on a very tight budget, and over the years many improvements have been made to the building. The funding from SSE Airtricity will allow us to install new energy-efficient boilers, which will further decrease the running costs of the building, as well reducing our carbon footprint.”

Meanwhile, St. Michael’s National School in Cootehill, Co. Cavan, is receiving funding from SSE Airtricity to install new energy-efficient LED lighting at the school. Majella McCarthy, Secretary of the school’s Board of Management, said: “SSE Airtricity’s funding will enable us to upgrade our 35-year old lighting with energy-efficient LED replacements. This will help us save money on our energy bills, and allow us to redirect much-needed funds into other important areas for the school.”

The majority of this year’s recipient groups are putting the money towards energy efficiency improvements, which SSE Airtricity strongly supports. Other projects being supported range from installing energy-efficient outdoor lighting at Kill National School, Cootehill Area Development and Shercock Athletic Club in Co. Cavan, to fitting electric storage heaters for Corduff Community Preschool in Co. Monaghan.

Anne Reynolds, SSE Airtricity Community Development Officer, said: “We’re proud to be contributing to so many important and forward-thinking local projects again this year, with a total of 47 community groups receiving funding. This latest presentation takes our total contribution in the area to over €1.3m since 2006, and it’s fantastic to see the difference the funding has made in that time. As always, we’re delighted to see so much of the funding going towards improvements in energy efficiency, which we always support as a great way to secure long-term benefit for the community.”

SSE Airtricity’s three wind farms in counties Cavan and Monaghan have a total generation capacity of 70MW, and produce enough renewable energy to power over 30,000 homes in the region.