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Facebook is going to build a €200 million data centre in Meath

It will create hundreds of jobs.

SOCIAL NETWORK GIANT Facebook is expected to lodge a planning application today for a new data centre in Meath.

The company last week published plans to build a European data centre in Clonee, which would create hundreds of temporary construction jobs and dozens of permanent jobs upon completion.

The investment is thought to be worth around €200 million and will bring Facebook’s Irish staff numbers to over 1,000.

It will be Facebook’s second data centre in Europe and their fifth worldwide. It is expected to be powered by renewable energy, most likely wind.

The plan will go to Meath County Council today, with phase one of the plan seeing a 50,000 square metre development spread over two buildings. The plan will see the Kilbride Road upgraded.

A third single-storey building will be constructed in phase two.

Rachel Peterson of Facebook, said: “Ireland has been a home for Facebook since 2007 and today’s planning application demonstrates our continued interest to invest in Ireland. We hope to build an innovative, environmentally friendly data centre that will help us continue to connect people in Ireland and around the world – while supporting local job creation and Ireland’s successful technology economy. We look forward to continuing our conversations with the Clonee community in coming weeks.”

Jackie Maguire, the CEO of Meath County Council said they had worked hard with all the stakeholders including IDA Ireland to attract this leading global company to the county.

“This application sends out a clear message to the business community in Ireland and abroad that Meath is open for business.”

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37 Comments
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    Mute Siobhán Ní Fhuada
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    Jun 15th 2015, 7:40 AM

    Great news on a Monday morning!

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:54 AM

    You’d think that, but I’m sure there’ll be a few of the regulars on shortly to explain why it’s not in a really fair minded and persuasive way

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:08 AM

    Good news for Clonee. There is local speculation that the town will make the Guinness Book of Records for having largest collection of duck-face photos

    96
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    Mute Conor Power
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    Jun 15th 2015, 7:52 AM

    ‘All your datacenteres are belong to us’

    73
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    Mute Glenard
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    Jun 15th 2015, 7:55 AM

    Great news. The sooner the better.

    44
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    Mute David Conroy
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:16 AM

    Fantastic news for Meath. Meath County Council would let you build literally anything so no problem even if they decided to use a nuclear reactor instead of wind power !

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    Mute John Lennox
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:01 AM

    Cop on to yourself.

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    Mute KwaK
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    Jun 15th 2015, 12:13 PM

    Good news for investment but
    You do know that anywhere in the midlands they are completely against wind power. Anytime I drive through the centre of Ireland all you see is no wind turbines posters. What’s gives??
    So can’t see this going ahead! It’ll get permission but expect a lot of uproar about the wind farms going up.
    FB and other big IT are dedicated to going green for their data centers. And it’ll take a lot to power these server farms.

    6
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    Mute Daniel Dunne
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    Jun 15th 2015, 12:53 PM

    No, not completely against windpower, however 185m high monstrosities are a bit too much to be blighting our landscape. Build them on the south Dublin mountains if yea like ‘em so much.

    11
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    Mute KwaK
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    Jun 15th 2015, 2:26 PM

    Yeah fair enough you don’t like the look of them but should looks stops the benefits they bring for the environment? what other type of powerful wind turbines is there. A 10foot high one isn’t all that good, you know! Do we continue to burn coal and gas for power or do we try to be nicer to the environment so we can keep your nice view(+ the extra wind turbines)
    Oh I’m from Dundalk and we have one within the town designated zone, I actually like the look of them and I lived less than a 1mile from it also and they aren’t any trouble. The traffic on the motorway 5miles away made more sound than it.
    And if you’ve been to Sicily you’ll see having them everywhere isn’t as bad as you’d think. They look alright in the landscape, adds to the feeling they are trying to do their part. And yet it’s still lovely and scenic.
    Maybe there should be a quota for each county, a fair way. it’s not like anyone wants the horrible coal power plant beside their town, which you get your electricity from. If you use electricity you get the turbines that’s how it should be perhaps. Build them where the wind is of course so Dublin mountains for sure. I’d said yes to building wind turbines in Dundalk bay and Cooley mountains but a lot people are selfish and said no :(
    Could just move it to another county take away the jobs and extra money to Meath. Any suggestions to power a hungry complex in a green way??

    9
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    Mute JibberIrish
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:17 AM

    How many of Facebook’s staff are actually Irish?
    Is a data centre not a big secure building that holds thousands of servers (very few people, security mostly)
    We probably gave them the land and construction company hired in from the UK.
    Lets hold off on the party poppers.

    37
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:21 AM

    So this is bad news because, in your uninformed opinion, they may have appointed a UK construction company?

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    Mute Andrew McCabe
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:28 AM

    You’re an idiot mate. It may be hard to believe but irish construction companies are used all over Europe for construction projects, who do you think built all the major highways in Poland before the euros etc. Also you are correct about the building being full of servers as it is a data center after all but you Still need some server engimeers present to manage them!!

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    Mute JibberIrish
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:41 AM

    Wow! Thanks you’re a true gent! Must be great to be you.

    6
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    Mute Tommy_Numan
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:05 AM

    Another corporation looking to avoid the social responsibility of paying tax.
    And Paddy welcomes them with open arms for the sake of a few measly jobs.
    Nudge nudge…wink wink.
    Disgusting, immoral politics.
    Makes one ashamed to be Irish on days like these.

    34
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    Mute Lolo
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:14 AM

    Paddy who? Name and shame this fellow at once Tommy boy! Too much nudging and winking it is deplorable.

    41
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    Mute Tommy_Numan
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:20 AM

    Paddy ‘Me Arse’ Ireland.

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    Mute John Boy
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:22 AM

    Nothing to do with tax mate, it’s our climate that attracts these companies to Ireland. Data centres, because of the huge number of servers, produce a lot of heat which naturally requires a lot of cooling. Because our climate is cooler it cuts down on running costs, air con etc, so for the IT industry it makes Ireland very attractive.

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    Mute bazhealy
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:27 AM

    Ye f Facebook providing people with a living and enabling them to put a roof over their heads and feed their families. Those evil corporate dogs! The fact that the jobs are high skilled and pretty highly payed as well, jaysus lads why would we want that! Let’s all just go back to working on farms and cutting peat and not take part in the global tech economy.

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    Mute Tommy_Numan
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:35 AM

    Facebook’s US parent company reporting a net profit of $1.5bn last year.
    Yet not even did they not pay any tax..they actually got tax returns in many countries.
    The company’s ad revenues are funnelled through Ireland to take advantage of much lower tax rates.
    It wasn’t the benign weather that brought them here.
    It was the benign tax regime.

    28
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    Mute John Boy
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:41 AM

    Fair enough! While you’re on the Internet reading all the wrong things why not go read about computer architecture, data farm cooling and we can have a conversation then (that contains logic).

    26
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    Mute Steve
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    Jun 15th 2015, 12:10 PM

    WELL, DUH! they arent here for the ” amazing local talent!

    10
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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Jun 15th 2015, 12:19 PM

    Tommy when are you announcing the you currently will bring your permeant Irish workforce up to 1000 people?
    You and you like are an embarrassment to this country.

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    Mute Tommy_Numan
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    Jun 15th 2015, 12:26 PM

    @Chris
    ‘an embarrassment to this country’?
    Beg your pardon.
    I am a citizen of the global village first and foremost.
    You obviously still believe in the politics of the parish pump.

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    Mute Marty Flood
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:41 AM

    Like.

    30
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    Mute Andrew Dagg
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:46 AM

    Great news. 40 full time jobs.
    And hundreds temporary construction jobs.

    28
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    Mute Le Tigre
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:53 AM

    I’ve never heard of a full-time construction job

    37
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    Mute Andrew Dagg
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:18 AM

    True.

    9
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    Mute Mark Mark
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:25 AM

    Great news!!!!! We’re getting there bit by bit…..now PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE burn theses remaining junior bond holders……. I’m not into betting but if I walk into a Paddy Powers bookie, bet money on a horse and it loses……I AM NOT STILL ENTITLED TO A PAYOUT!!!! These are unsecured bond holders…..they gambled and lost. It is simply unacceptable that the Irish people were / are forced to pay bond holders returns even though they lost (ANGLO) just in case it scares of future investment. Absolute twaddle. BURN BURN BURN!!!!!!!

    28
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    Mute Daphne
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    Jun 15th 2015, 8:59 AM

    Definitely good news! Anyone know what kind of skills they look for in data centres?

    26
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    Mute Colm Durkan
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:04 AM

    The ability to resolve non-sequiturs

    19
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    Mute Kevin M Smyth
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    Jun 15th 2015, 2:01 PM

    Data centres require people who can troubleshoot faulty servers (industrial computers). Knowledge of networking is an advantage, along with scripting. Some data centres run Linux on their servers. It’s good to have a bit of experience with Linux, but I’m not sure whether FB use Linux or Microsoft Server.

    10
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    Mute OU812
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    Jun 15th 2015, 9:05 AM

    Good news for the local economy. In terms of permanent full time jobs though, there’s about 40-50 over a 24/7-365 roster. Data centres don’t need a lot of staff at all.

    24
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    Mute Dennis O'Brien
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    Jun 15th 2015, 12:14 PM

    Ill get the brown paper envelopes ready to make sure I get the contract for everything

    7
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    Mute Inanimate Carbon Rod
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    Jun 15th 2015, 1:41 PM

    I’d say the location of this data centre has more to do with Ireland’s lax privacy laws than it has to do with climate.

    The fact of the matter is the Data Protection Commissioner operates out of a tiny office above a Centra in the midlands and that’s the way Facebook et.al like to have privacy policed- as little as possible and the Irish government conform by deliberately understaffing the office.

    3
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    Mute KwaK
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    Jun 15th 2015, 12:14 PM

    Good news for investment but
    You do know that anywhere in the midlands they are completely against wind power. Anytime I drive through the centre of Ireland all you see is no wind turbines posters. What’s gives??

    FB and other big IT are dedicated to going green for their data centers. And it’ll take a lot to power these server farms.

    3
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 17th 2015, 2:35 PM

    Ready for the NSA to have a look at lol.

    1
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