Mar 16, 2026 | Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji
A €1.6 billion ($1.8 billion) data center project finally received approval on Friday, March 13, after six years of permitting hurdles and legal challenges. Developer Art Data Centres secured planning permission in 2022, won an appeal in 2024, and successfully defended against a judicial review application in 2025.
The challenge argued that Ireland’s planning appeals board, An Bord Pleanála, had overlooked several legal obligations when reviewing the data center proposal.
Specifically, the application cited the presence of the Leisler’s bat in the area, claimed that the board failed “to apply and/or consider its mandatory obligation under section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015,” and contended that certain environmental factors were not properly considered in the decision.
Art’s proposal will see the construction of a 200MW campus with six data halls each offering 200,000 sq ft (18,580 sqm) of space, with an 83MVA off-grid power source and partnerships with wind, solar, and biogas providers. The first phases of development are due to go live by the end of 2028.
Tom McNamara and Vincent Fogarty, the founders of Art, said: “The judgement recognizes that there is a future for environmentally-sensitive data center developments like ours, where there is responsible use of renewable energy, grid-supporting generation technology & heat-recycling for both agri-food and local heating schemes. Such responsible developments, outside the Dublin metropolitan area, have the potential to secure our economic future, providing a future market for offshore wind developers and securing Ireland's position as a world-renowned centre of excellence in the cloud computing economy.”
Ireland has faced significant energy pressures from its data center sector. According to a report by the Central Statistics Office released last June, data centers currently consume around 20% of the country’s metered electricity.
This high energy usage has sparked public opposition. In July 2025, Ireland’s National Trust appealed planning permission for a data center in County Louth, and in May, bestselling author Sally Rooney and others challenged Mayo County Council’s approval of a new data center by Avaio.
Maurice Mortell, chairman of advocacy group Digital Infrastructure Ireland, said: “Digital Infrastructure Ireland welcomes the High Court decision today to clear Art Data Centres to proceed to build. Developments such as Art will be important for the national economy and for Ireland’s standing in the world as a center of excellence in cloud computing.”
