Latest news with #ColinDoyle
BreakingNews.ie
24-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Plans for Mayo data centre opposed by Sally Rooney stalled after appeal
Contentious plans to proceed with a data centre in Co Mayo opposed by international best-selling author, Sally Rooney have been stalled. This follows a third party appeal lodged with An Bord Pleanála against Mayo County Council's decision to grant planning permission last month to Mayo Data Hub Ltd for a data centre at Mullafarry and Tawnaghmore Upper, Killala. Advertisement One of the objectors to the data centre, Colin Doyle from Station Rd, Ennis, Co Clare has lodged the third party appeal. The data centre for a site, located 1.8km to the south of Killala and 10.5km to the north of Ballina, will require 50MW average electrical power to operate. A planning report lodged with the application by John Spain Associates states that proposed development "will attract complementary technology-based companies within the ICT sector and complementary industries to the west of Ireland which will provide for higher paying jobs and activate the local economy'. The planning report also states that the electricity grid in the west of Ireland is currently unconstrained with sufficient capacity to accommodate the required connection for the data centre. Advertisement The report states that the project 'was in fact situated in this part of Ireland after consultation with Eirgrid because this location is outside grid constrained areas and in a region with a surplus of renewable power'. In his original objection with the Council, Mr Doyle stated that his main concern was indirect greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) generated by the data centre and the resulting impact on climate. In her own objection to the centre, Sally Rooney told the Council that 'I urge you in the strongest possible terms to refuse planning permission for this wasteful, unnecessary and environmentally toxic proposal'. Ms Rooney said that she was making this submission 'as a resident of Co Mayo and a concerned citizen.' Advertisement The Normal People and Intermezzo author said: "Climate change represents an immediate and unprecedented threat to our way of life here in Mayo and to the future of human life around the world'. She said: "Unless we act now to stop runaway overheating, children born today are likely to witness a catastrophic breakdown of global civilisation.' Ms Rooney said that in 2023, 'private corporate data centres accounted for 21 per cent of Ireland's total electricity usage – more than all urban households combined'. Ms Rooney said: 'The truth is that these data centres exist largely to support online advertising. Some estimates suggest that online ads account for 50 per cent of internet data usage; others put the figure between 60 per cent and 80 per cent. Advertisement She said: 'Whatever the specific figure, online advertising is extremely energy-intensive and is increasing in scale all the time, requiring more data centres, more energy, and more fossil fuels. Ms Rooney said: 'Advertising, needless to say, is pointless. It adds no value to the real economy. It does not improve the overall quality of life for anyone. It is an utter waste of resources. At the best of times, this seems a shame; at a time of urgent global crisis, it is a catastrophe.' "Wasteful consumption of electricity is a disaster. Not only does it drive energy prices upward for ordinary consumers; it also increases the total demand for energy and thus the total demand for fossil fuels' Ms Rooney said that as the applicants have conceded that the project will result in the emission of more carbon dioxide" into our already overheated atmosphere". Advertisement She said: 'This additional atmospheric carbon will contribute to climate change not only here in County Mayo, but everywhere on the earth, as part of the catastrophic planetary crisis that is global warming.' Ms Rooney further contended that 'Carbon credits' and 'offsetting programmes' deployed by operators of data centres 'act only as a smokescreen for corporations that want to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere for profit'. She said: "These gases have already been responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people, and in the coming years we can be confident they will claim the lives of thousands more. No complicated EU policy instrument can wave that fact away.' In her six page submission, Ms Rooney further states that 'Not only would this proposed data centre represent a wasteful use of precious and limited electricity; it could also endanger that vital resource for other users, including hospitals and homes.' A decision is due on the appeal in September.
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Approval for Mayo data centre plan is appealed
Contentious plans for a data centre in Co Mayo have been stalled after an appeal was lodged against the county council's decision to approve the Mayo Data Hub Ltd plan. The data centre on a site located 1.8km to the south of Killala and 10.5km to the north of Ballina will require 50MW average electrical power to operate. Planning consultants John Spain Associates, for the applicants, said the proposed development 'will attract complementary technology-based companies within the ICT sector and complementary industries to the west of Ireland which will provide for higher paying jobs and activate the local economy'. The Spain report also notes that the electricity grid in the west of Ireland is currently unconstrained with sufficient capacity to accommodate the connection for the data centre. READ MORE It says the project 'was in fact situated in this part of Ireland after consultation with EirGrid because this location is outside grid-constrained areas and in a region with a surplus of renewable power'. However, one of the objectors to the plan – Colin Doyle from Station Rd, Ennis, Co Clare – has now lodged a third party appeal to An Bord Pleanála. In his original objection to the proposal, Mr Doyle said his main concern was indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated by the data centre and the resulting impact on climate. Bestselling author Sally Rooney, who was born in Castlebar and lives in Mayo, was also among the original objectors to the scheme, calling the data centre plan a 'wasteful, unnecessary and environmentally toxic proposal'.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Promoted Bradford in talks with captain Smallwood
Bradford City are in talks with four out of contract players, including captain Richard Smallwood, about extending their 34-year-old midfielder has made 130 league appearances in three seasons with the Bantams and helped them win promotion back to League One this Sam Walker, 33, and defenders Ciaran Kelly, 26, and Lewis Richards, 23, are also in discussions about new Romoney Crichlow, 25, Sam Stubbs, 26, and midfielders Callum Johnson, 28, and Jamie Walker, 31, and striker Vadaine Oliver, 33, have all been coach Colin Doyle, 39, is also in talks about a new playing defender Paul Huntington, 37, is out of contract but has been invited back for pre-season training.
Irish Independent
08-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Amazon Web Services faces fresh delay over plans for three data centres in north Dublin
An Bord Pleanála wrote to AWS firm Universal Developers LLC in recent days, seeking to clarify the impact of the three planned data centres, with reference to the Government's recently published Climate Action Plan 2025. The letter seeking clarification comes more than 18 months after Fingal County Council's decision to grant planning for the three new data-centre buildings was appealed to the board. The board has now told Amazon Web Services that the information is necessary for the purpose of enabling it to determine the appeal. AWS has massively ramped up data-centre spending across Europe In the letter, the appeals board stated that it is seeking the applicant's response, in light of the publication of the Climate Action Plan in April 2025 and of another report, on Ireland's Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2023-2050, released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The reports were published after the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) as part of the planning application. As a result, the appeals board wants Amazon Web Services to re-affirm, or otherwise, findings in its original environmental assessment. The data-centre campus – on a 65-acre site at Cruiserath Road, Dublin 15 – would have a combined power load of 73MW. The appeals board has also told the applicants to provide evidence of capacity in the national grid to serve the development, and is seeking details of the energy provider who will connect the new buildings. AWS has until May 29 to provide a response. The letter comes more than 18 months after five third-party appeals lodged in relation to the proposed development with An Bord Pleanála in October 2023 contesting Fingal County Council's decision to grant planning for the three new data-centre buildings. Universal Developers LLC first lodged plans two-and-a-half years ago, in December 2022. The five parties who lodged appeals against the permission are Friends of the Earth, the Fingal One Future Group, Dr Colin Doyle, John Conway & Louth Environmental Group, and Mannix Coyne. AWS has massively ramped up investment in data-centre infrastructure across Europe since last summer, in anticipation of a long-term increase in demand for cloud services as a result of the roll-out of generative AI – the data-hungry processes that are rapidly being adopted by industries of all kinds. Since May, AWS has announced a combined €35bn of new investment in its European cloud infrastructure, mostly to build new data centres in Britain, Germany, Spain and France. Ireland has so far missed out on that expansion.
