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ARTICLE · 18 MARCH 2026

Data Centres, Climate Obligations, And Mathematical Argument Limitations

William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP
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William Fry LLP

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The applicants (two environmental NGOs and three individuals) challenged An Coimisiún Pleanála's (Commission) decision to permit six two-storey data centre buildings on a 60-hectare site...

IrelandLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Michelle Martin
Michelle Martin
Liam McCabe
Liam McCabe
Aoife Garvey
Aoife Garvey
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In Doyle & Ors v An Coimisiún Pleanála (No. 3), the High Court (Court) dismissed a judicial review challenge to planning permission for a hyper-scale data centre near Ennis, Co. Clare.

The applicants (two environmental NGOs and three individuals) challenged An Coimisiún Pleanála's (Commission) decision to permit six two-storey data centre buildings on a 60-hectare site, with a 120MW gas-powered energy centre and associated substation infrastructure.

This was the third instalment in the Doyle litigation. Module I addressed a bat roost issue and was dismissed. The second judgment in Module I dealt with costs.

Module II, heard in March 2026, tackled the climate grounds. What makes this judgment significant is the Court's detailed application of the Supreme Court's framework in Coolglass v An Coimisiún Pleanála [2026] IESC 5 to an emissions-causing development for the first time at the High Court level. The applicants lost on every ground.

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