A total of €120,000 has been distributed to 38 volunteer groups – the latest tranche of cash from the Galway Wind Park Community Fund.

The presentation, which took place in the Connemara Lake Hotel, Oughterard, last week, brings the total amount SSE Renewables and Greencoat Renewables have given out to over €3 million since its establishment in 2018.

The 174MW Galway Wind Park, co-owned by SSE Renewables and Greencoat Renewables, is one of Ireland’s largest onshore wind farms, generating enough renewable energy to power around 140,000 homes annually, while offsetting roughly 289,000 tonnes of harmful carbon emissions each year.

The Galway Wind Park Community Fund provides funding to community groups within a 20km radius of the wind farm, with preference given to projects within a 5km radius.

Awardees encompassed a diverse range of initiatives aimed at fostering community development.

Recipients included community groups devoted to teaching children how to code, improving men’s mental health and supporting domestic violence victims. Meanwhile, other community groups have been awarded funds to improve their facilities by enhancing safety measures, supporting infrastructure improvements and carrying out energy-efficiency upgrades.

This included Rahoon / Newcastle GAA Club – one of Galway’s oldest hurling clubs being established in 1889 – which was awarded funding to install a solar panel system on the roof of the club to improve energy efficiency.

“This award from the Galway Wind Park Community Fund, alongside a SEAI grant and our club’s own fundraising, will enable us to complete the installation for a 14.7 KWP domestic rooftop solar panel system on the roof of the community club house to allow us to generate clean, efficient and more affordable energy for the club,” said Robert Keane who serves of the club’s Finance Committee.

Also among the recipients are the 15th Galway Scout Group; 29th Killannin Scout Group; Rosscahill ICA; the Galway Mountain Rescue Team; Domestic Violence Response Ltd, and RDA Ireland Galway Branch.

Oughterard groups to benefit include the Youth Café; Tidy Towns; Meals on Wheels; Oughterard Show; Senior Citizens; Oughterard Heritage Group; Oughterard Golf Club; Clann Resource Centre, and the Community Centre/Corrib Gym.

Moycullen recipients include Cumann Staire Ruaidhrí Uí Fhiaitheartaigh Maigh Cuillin/Moycullen Heritage; Beile Blasta Mhaigh Cuilinn; Aisteoiri an Bhaile; Scoil Bhaile Nua; Moycullen Angling; Sonas Senior Citizens; Moycullen Conference of St. Vincent de Paul; Tidy Towns, and Moycullen Men’s Shed.

Also on the list are Baboró International Arts Festival for Children; Naionra an Chnoic Tir an Fhia; Club Judo an Cheathrú Rua; Men’s Shed Duice Sheoige; Scoil Náisiúnta Colmcille Leitir Móir; Comharchumann Shailearna Teo; Coiste an Chillin; Coiste Páirc Spraoi Leitir Móir; Corrib Kids Coding; Platform Youth Club; Scoil Muire Doireglinne; Tar Isteach Páirc Spraoi, and Timpeallacht Nadurtha.

Pictured: Just some of the many recipients of grants from the Galway Wind Park Community Fund. Photo: Sean Lydon.