Sally Rooney just defeated a data center.
Here’s a rare piece of heartening tech news to buoy you toward the weekend: A West of Ireland data center objected to by novelist Sally Rooney has just had its planning permission overturned on the grounds that it breaches Irish
Sally Rooney, a renowned Irish novelist, has triumphed in her fight against a proposed data center in Killala, County Mayo. The facility, which was initially granted planning permission last year despite local resistance, was recently overturned due to breaching Ireland's climate policy. Rooney, a local resident and author of several best-selling novels, objected to the project in January, citing concerns over increased carbon emissions, potential blackouts, and the threat of climate change.
In November 2024, Rooney published a powerful article in the Irish Times, warning of the dire consequences of continued fossil fuel consumption. The surge in data centers in Ireland has now accounted for nearly a quarter of the country's electricity consumption, up from just 5% in 2015. In December 2023, the Irish government lifted a moratorium on new data center connections to the electricity grid, which had been in place since 2021.
Rooney, known for her activism on various issues, including Palestinian rights, hopes her success will inspire other authors to take a stand against the growing number of data centers being constructed. As an old Irish proverb reminds us, "the only thing better than firebombing a data center is preventing one from being built in the first place."
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