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File photo: Interior of a data centre Alamy Stock Photo

Controversial Mayo data centre project opposed by author Sally Rooney stalled

The data centre will require 50MW average electrical power to operate.

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 Pleanala 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.

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 Spain 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. 

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, 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”. 

Rooney said that she was making this submission “as a resident of County Mayo and a concerned citizen.”

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.”

Rooney said that in 2023, “private corporate data centres accounted for 21% of Ireland’s total electricity usage – more than all urban households combined”.

Rooney said: “The truth is that these data centres exist largely to support online advertising. Some estimates suggest that online ads account for 50% of internet data usage; others put the figure between 60% and 80%. 

She added: “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. 

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.”

Rooney argued that “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”

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”. 

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.”

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, Rooney further stated 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.

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    Mute J Ven
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    May 24th 2025, 10:56 AM

    She is an iPhone Marxist, she herself described as a Marxist, but she doesn’t mind making money off her book which are also published online. No matter how you look at it, Sally, you’re killing trees to print your books and using data centre to publish your ebooks. 50MW is something that 10 wind turbines can produce, they could be built right in their land.

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    May 24th 2025, 11:16 AM

    Three of Sally Rooneys books averaged over 500,000 physical copies in the UK (each), it requires ‘approximately 9,500 trees to produce 500,000 average-sized books, assuming standard paper and printing methods’ so those 3 books alone some 30,000 trees needed. Glasshouses – stones, methinks

    119
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    Mute thomas molloy
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    May 24th 2025, 11:16 AM

    @J Ven: She should not get a boat to America or she will fall is the edge of her flat world

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    Mute brendan C5
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    May 24th 2025, 11:51 AM

    @J Ven: no they won’t get near that figure, it’s a small fraction of that 50mw plus you have mechanical losses transmission losses and efficiency losses. And you can’t recycle the blades, the amount of concrete and steel used in construction, they don’t work in storms and calm weather and when they are replaced a whole new foundation has to be constructed because of the stresses of the old one went through. A country can only run on 40% so call renewables to be reliable. Look at what the clown government did in Spain with nearly 65% renewables.

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    Mute J Ven
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    May 24th 2025, 11:59 AM

    @brendan C5: I work in the wind energy, we make the biggest gearboxes for wind turbines, a 5MW gearbox is middle of the road output, there are wind turbines capable of producing 15MW, off shore, but on shore, you can even get 8-10MW wind turbines, 10 of those are more than capable of producing 50MW

    23
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    Mute declan sweeney
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    May 24th 2025, 12:01 PM

    @J Ven:
    Yes and their is 6 wind turbines allready there in Mullafarry

    6
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    Mute Doberman
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    May 24th 2025, 12:49 PM

    @J Ven: 10 wind turbines my backside. The wind didn’t blow in Ireland for the last 6 weeks as frequently happens, so a duplication of energy production is necessary and hence why Irish Citizens pay the highest electricity prices in Europe and the World

    16
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    Mute brendan C5
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    May 24th 2025, 12:51 PM

    @J Ven: ya right you work in wind energy, and I’m superman.

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    Mute Éamonn O'Kane
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    May 24th 2025, 2:05 PM

    @Thesaltyurchin: how many printed on recycled paper?

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    Mute Éamonn O'Kane
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    May 24th 2025, 2:07 PM

    @Doberman: they don’t, that can be claimed by Britain, thanks to privatisation

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    Mute Ekumbe Adesiyan
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    May 24th 2025, 4:40 PM

    @Thesaltyurchin: Trees are grown as a crop, to make paper. They’re not cutting down rainforests to make books from. Should we also stop eating potatoes, so that we don’t run out of potato plants? It’s the same thing, not even taking into account paper recycling. The more paper we use, the more trees they will grow.

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    Mute Alan
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    May 25th 2025, 3:18 AM

    @Thesaltyurchin: What might the fossil fuel cost, and effect to the environment be for the delivery of 1.5M books?

    1
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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    May 25th 2025, 11:05 AM

    @Alan: Its all a big circular economy of ‘suits you sir’ really. At the end of the day everyone is just leaning over each other to be better off. We enjoy the back and forth but really we’re all complicate in each others versions of reality. Everything is a contradiction we’re will to overlook.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    May 25th 2025, 4:42 PM

    @Doberman: Where did the wind not blow for 6 weeks in Ireland?
    Or is that you overstating a point and ending up looking like you are stretching the facts. Yes it is definitely that!

    1
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    Mute Lewis Armstrong
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    May 24th 2025, 10:52 AM

    Doesn’t Sally Rooney realise that these data centres are needed so that we can keep scrolling on instagram, tik tok as well as nudie websites?

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    Mute Lei tatt
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    May 24th 2025, 11:14 AM

    @Lewis Armstrong: doesnt Lewis Armstrong dont understand that they can go and build their data center that consumes as much electricity as a whole city somewhere else in europe , because these centers are massively inflating electricity costs for you and me , that is why you are paying 500 euros a months for your electricity. Because of the data centeres.

    52
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    Mute Tony
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    May 24th 2025, 11:22 AM

    @Lewis Armstrong: Data centres also needed for streaming sallys work so she can get tax free earnings from it. She should return all her earnings if she’s so against them.

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    Mute Trevor McCormack
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    May 24th 2025, 12:37 PM

    @Lei tatt: You do realize that by posting comments here, and elsewhere, you are using the aforementioned Data Centres?

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    Mute Wolfgang Bonow
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    May 24th 2025, 1:31 PM

    @Lei tatt: You might have a valid point, but the “500 euros a months” exaggeration doesn’t help your argument.
    I’m pretty sure nobody on this island is paying this much per month.

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    Mute Lei tatt
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    May 24th 2025, 2:07 PM

    @Wolfgang Bonow: agree , that was an exaggeration , but fact is fact – that we are paying HIGHEST rates for electricity in European union – one of the major reasons because we are subsidizing all the levies and discounts that Data centers are getting off of the ESB.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    May 25th 2025, 4:44 PM

    @Lei tatt: What discounts?

    1
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    Mute Peter Calvey
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    May 24th 2025, 11:13 AM

    What the hell is this Doyle fella in Ennis opposing something in Mayo.
    Mind your own business!!

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    Mute Mindful Muinteoir
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    May 24th 2025, 12:12 PM

    @Peter Calvey: It will be all our business when the electricity grid caves! Im sure there will be more and more rolling “faults” as more of these energy greedy, carbon emitting monstrosities are opened. And I doubt a single job will be made in the west on the back of this DC either – maybe a few extra in Mumbai alright! They should be asked exactly how these jobs get created.

    37
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    Mute John Lee
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    May 24th 2025, 1:49 PM

    @Peter Calvey: He opposes most around Ireland but usually fails to stop them

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    Mute chris gaffney
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    May 24th 2025, 2:46 PM

    @Mindful Muinteoir: Then upgrade the power network like any other country with a brain would do…….Ah wait, there might be objectors!!

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    Mute Darren Lynch
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    May 24th 2025, 3:14 PM

    @Mindful Muinteoir: tell me you haven’t a clue how the grid works or how data centres operate, without telling me you haven’t a clue how the grid works or how data centres operate!!

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    Mute Mindful Muinteoir
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    May 24th 2025, 8:08 PM

    @Darren Lynch: And this is the bit where you explain – if you actually had something to contradict! A finite (and fluctuating) amount of power on the grid, with an ever increasing draw on said power. When the draw becomes too much we get brown outs or even black outs. DCs get phoney deals where they get to say their power is the power coming from the wind turbines or solar farms when in reality its one big pot of power. Now tell me your story! (and remember if you cant explain it simply, you dont understand it well enough!)

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    Mute Mindful Muinteoir
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    May 24th 2025, 10:23 PM

    @Darren Lynch: Thought not. Glad we cleared that up.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    May 25th 2025, 4:44 PM

    @Peter Calvey: He complains about everything he feels is not “green”.

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    Mute no no no
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    May 25th 2025, 11:08 PM

    @Mindful Muinteoir: short term jons during construction. When finished max 10 people probably but at least those workers pay taxes in Ireland regardless where they came from

    1
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    Mute Tony
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    May 24th 2025, 11:19 AM

    Why is someone from a different county making an objection. It’s crazy that can happen. And as for sally, maybe return all the cash she makes from streaming her content if she’s so against data centres.

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    Mute Lei tatt
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    May 24th 2025, 11:23 AM

    @Tony: i will tell you why –

    because you , her and me are paying highly inflated electricity prices thanks to all the data centers.

    37
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    Mute Johnny Wilson
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    May 24th 2025, 11:36 AM

    @Lei tatt: wrong, you are benefiting from tax reductions and social supports funded by the taxes from companies who rely on data centres

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    Mute Lei tatt
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    May 24th 2025, 12:02 PM

    @Johnny Wilson: tax reductions and social supports funded by data centers??? Hahaha good one Johnny

    16
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    Mute declan sweeney
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    May 24th 2025, 12:04 PM

    @Tony:

    Agree and one of the reasons he is objecting is damace to our enviroment, interesting as the head of the Green party here in Mayo has came out in favour of the DC

    8
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    Mute Seanie
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    May 24th 2025, 12:12 PM

    @Johnny Wilson: Household electricity bills are subsidising Data Centers by millions of euros per year re the Sunday Independent on 16th March 2025 according to an investigation they conducted.

    21
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    Mute Balloon Boy
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    May 24th 2025, 1:00 PM

    @Tony: she’s an author not a film-maker, you dolt

    5
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    Mute Kylie More-Rode - Ballyer Drag Queen
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    May 24th 2025, 1:09 PM

    @Johnny Wilson: this is incorrect. Nobody benefits except foreign shareholders.

    11
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    Mute Lei tatt
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    May 24th 2025, 2:04 PM

    @Seanie: exactly, but unfortunately Johnny is living under the information rock.

    9
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    Mute Paul
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    May 24th 2025, 3:47 PM

    @Lei tatt: I have solar panels, and my electricity bill is negative!

    2
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    Mute Tony
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    May 24th 2025, 4:56 PM

    @Lei tatt: No. we are paying highly inflated electricity prices because of wind farms and the tax breaks given to the owners.

    5
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    Mute Tony
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    May 24th 2025, 4:57 PM

    @Balloon Boy: You think the author of a tv series doesn’t earn money from it? And you call me an idiot lol

    3
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    Mute Balloon Boy
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    May 24th 2025, 5:19 PM

    @Tony: You haven’t a clue how these things work. But that’s fine!

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    Mute Geraldine Donoghue
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    May 24th 2025, 6:16 PM

    @Balloon Boy: You’re the one who hasn’t a clue how it works. Do you think they just used her book without paying her.

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    Mute Thomas Meaney
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    May 24th 2025, 11:00 AM

    Just like Sally Rooney’s books a load of collywobble.

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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    May 24th 2025, 11:14 AM

    @Thomas Meaney: she’s no Sally ó Brien

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    Mute Kylie More-Rode - Ballyer Drag Queen
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    May 24th 2025, 12:35 PM

    @Thomas Meaney: not gay enough for you lads in the parish team tog out?

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    Mute Clare Power
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    May 24th 2025, 1:28 PM

    @Thomas Meaney: A lot of people would say the same about the bible!

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    May 24th 2025, 2:36 PM

    @Clare Power: I do get confused between Normal People and the Bible.

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    Mute Thomas Meaney
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    May 24th 2025, 9:07 PM

    @Clare Power: after being to a communion of a relative today I couldn’t agree more. The hypocrisy of it all. It was hard to sit and listen to the dribble and to know most (if not all) likely won’t see the inside of a church until the confirmation. The mind boggles.

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    Mute Sam Flynn
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    May 25th 2025, 1:02 AM

    @Thomas Meaney: what dribble

    1
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    Mute Ronan Mc
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    May 24th 2025, 11:14 AM

    I’d like to take everyone who signed the online petition to stop this data centre. Sharing it on Facebook and WhatsApp really helped get the momentum into this campaign.

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    Mute declan sweeney
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    May 24th 2025, 12:47 PM

    @Ronan Mc:

    How many locals or in the Ballina/Killala/Crossmolina, and surounding areas signed it, the people who matter

    16
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    Mute Mindful Muinteoir
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    May 24th 2025, 12:14 PM

    Absolutely 100% agree with Rooney. And nobody falls for the fallacy of carbon credits!

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    Mute Mary Linton
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    May 24th 2025, 10:56 AM

    Well done Sally…..great to see ‘ normal people’ still have a voice/ say

    24
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    Mute Tony
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    May 24th 2025, 11:20 AM

    @Mary Linton: Sally makes money from data centres. Perhaps if she’s so against them she should return all her royalties made from her films and e-books.

    34
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    Mute Johnny Wilson
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    May 24th 2025, 11:35 AM

    @Mary Linton: “well done” for seeking to damage our economy??

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    Mute Super241946
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    May 24th 2025, 4:06 PM

    @Mary Linton: Go away quietly and raffle yourself Mary there’s a good girl

    5
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    Mute James Groden
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    May 24th 2025, 1:45 PM

    Dáta centres will, within a few years, use more electricity than every domestic dwelling in the country combined. They provide damn all jobs, other than short term construction. They will cause us to face more fines from EU for carbon use and place massive strain on our network. They mainly serve data customers outside of Ireland and use huge volumes of water. They are an absolute disaster.
    Fair play to Sally Rooney. She has been on the right side of history on many issues. This will be another one of them.

    25
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    Mute Eddienowy Byrne
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    May 24th 2025, 1:13 PM

    So someone in Clare can object to a building in Mayo I thought that done away with.

    13
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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    May 25th 2025, 4:47 PM

    @Eddienowy Byrne: He is one of a crew of regular complainants! A few ogf them were found to be doing it for to be paid off. Cheaper than going to cort and all the rest of it!

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    Mute Brian D'Arcy
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    May 24th 2025, 1:04 PM

    Is there any data centre that isn’t controversial, they consume an incredible amount of energy. The trolls will be outraged given that they are on here 24 hours a day so they badly need them to keep trolling.

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    Mute Kylie More-Rode - Ballyer Drag Queen
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    May 24th 2025, 12:37 PM

    Brilliant to see Kneecap profit and go to more success after the Brit frameup! Gwan republican rappers! Get Your Brits Out!

    10
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    Mute Ciaran Miller
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    May 24th 2025, 11:31 PM

    How many long term jobs do data centres provide? Does anyone know anyone who works in an operational data centre? I think we might have more than our fair share of these electricity black holes. Most of the power is used for cooling so maybe they should put them somewhere colder.

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    Mute declan sweeney
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    May 25th 2025, 12:18 PM

    @Ciaran Miller:
    20 to 30 jobs when it is up and running with 200 to 300 jobs in the construction

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    Mute chris gaffney
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    May 24th 2025, 2:44 PM

    The government needs to ban this Hobby of Nimbyism. I would love to see a few of these type of objectors charged for wasting other people’s time and money. If they had to put their hands into their purses maybe they would get the message. We can’t have all possible developments and projects held up by lunatic objectors!!!

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    Mute Kay Tombe
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    May 24th 2025, 6:33 PM

    Why does Sally Rooney think her opinion counts?

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    Mute Ciaran Mcguinness
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    May 24th 2025, 10:05 PM

    Data centres will end up consuming more energy than every household in the country combined.

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    Mute Kylie More-Rode - Ballyer Drag Queen
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    May 24th 2025, 1:13 PM

    In more important news/if you need a laugh – the VIP Style Awards pix on the Indo site. The Ryans. And Una Healy robbed again.

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    Mute Hunt Ley
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    May 26th 2025, 5:08 AM

    Sally Rooney.

    She’s a planning expert on the side. The “toxic” she refers to actually is the dreck she writes.

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    Mute Ed Brennan
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    May 25th 2025, 12:34 PM

    Wealthy author and serious weJ ‘disliker’ says NIMBY.

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