High Court rejects latest legal challenge to Apple data centre in Athenry

Thu, Nov 02, 2017

Plans by tech giant Apple to develop an €850 million data centre outside Athenry have once again been given the go-ahead this week with a decision by the High Court to reject an eleventh-hour appeal by two local residents. The pair had sought to challenge the court's previous decision to refuse their application to have planning permission for the development overturned.

Allan Daly and Sinead Fitzpatrick had previously challenged the grant of planning permission for phase one of the proposed facility in Derrydonnell, arguing that An Bord Pleanala had not carried out a sufficient environmental impact assessment of Apple's overall plans before granting permission for the development, which comprises the first of up to eight data halls on the site.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott last month refused their application to have planning permission overturned. Yesterday the judge rejected their application to appeal this earlier judicial review finding to the Court of Appeal.