SSE Airtricity handed out shares of €227,000 to Local Groups in West Limerick

SSE Airtricity Limerick Fund presentations took place in Muintir na Tire Halla Inse Ban in Templeglantine. Picture: Liam Burke/Press 22

SSE Airtricity handed out shares of €227,000 to Local Groups in West Limerick

SSE Airtricity handed a share of €227,000 community fund to 45 local groups last week in west Limerick including schools, local halls and GAA clubs.

SSE Airtricity claims the money handed over is the biggest ever given to community groups in the vicinity of its windfarms located at Tournafulla, Rathcahill, Dromada and Athea. This amounts to €1.2m, allocated in West Limerick and North Kerry since 2008.

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In Templeglantine, cheques were presented to seven national schools and one Montessori school. Templeglantine Community Council, and Abbeyfeale Community Council both received grants in the form of cheques as did a number of community alert schemes.

Tournafulla’s Sustainable Living Group also received an award which will help them get a new project off the ground. Helen Broderick, Chairperson of the Sustainable Living Group, commented: “In 2013, we conducted a survey about local needs and we discovered that the community was in favour of setting up a café. The village has no shops or post office, all having closed during the recession.”

Tournafulla GAA club has since agreed to let the group use the kitchen space in their new clubhouse which is currently under construction.  

“The funding from SSE Airtricity will allow us to install a commercial kitchen, which will be a major boost for the community,” Helen Broderick added. Their plan for the space will be to run a community cafe but also to allow small local food enterprises to use the facilities.

“We’re delighted to once again be awarding funding to so many forward-thinking community projects,” said Anne Reynolds, SSE Airtricity Community Development Officer, referring to the installation of a rainwater harvesting system at the Abbeyfeale United club

Ms Reynolds mentioned that a great many projects funded this year focused on energy efficiency, Ms Reynolds mentioned, among them the installation of LED lights in one national school. “As always, it’s fantastic to see so much of the money going towards projects that improve energy efficiency, which helps reduce heating bills and ultimately leads to a greener and more sustainable environment for the whole community,” she said.

SSE Airtricity’s Tournafulla, Rathcahill, Dromada and Athea Wind Farms in West Limerick have a combined capacity of over 100MW capable of powering over 50,000 homes.

The following groups in West Limerick and North Kerry received funding from this year’s SSE Airtricity Community Fund for a variety of energy-efficient and sustainable projects: Con Colbert Hall, Athea; Glengurt NS, Tournafulla; St Ita’s AFC Killeedy; Duagh Sports and Leisure; Scoil Ide, Raheenagh;Athea NS; Templeglantine Community Council; Abbeyfeale United AFC; Killeedy Hall Committee; Templeglantine Tidy Towns; Community Alert in Tournafulla and Abbeyfeale; Templeglantine GAA and Camogie; Athea Library Restoration; Glenquin Montessori; Athea GAA; Killoughteen NS; Gaelscoil O’Dobhair, Newcastle West; Knocknasna NS, Abbeyfeale; Scoil Ide, Ashford; Duagh NS; Ballylongford NS; Gerald Griffins GAA, Ballyhahill;  Tournafulla GAA; Glin GAA; Killeedy GAA; Abbeyfeale RFC;Newcastle West Rovers; Monagea Hall; Ardagh Hall; Athea Trout Fishing; Abbeyfeale Anglers; Tournafulla Sustainable Living; Knockanure Development Association and Reilig Ide, Abbeyfeale.

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