Kilmeaden Residents Stand Against New Data Centre Building Proposal In Rural Ireland

Around a hundred people gathered in Kilmeaden, County Waterford, to reject the proposal of a data centre in the South East village of Ireland. The locals have been opposing the planning for over a year by amplifying awareness on social media and encouraging people to make a submission on said planning application. 

According to the proposed planning, the data centres are to be built between Blackkrock and Adamstown on a total site area of 108.79 hectares without waste required permit. Speaking to Jane O’Brian, a resident of Waterford and the organiser of the protest, she said, "data centres are like a humongous power plant that creates noise, pollution and destroy the environment.” 

While she understands the importance of technological advancement, she does not support data centres in any area, particularly rural villages. Jane says, “we have enough data centres in the country and the epicentre should not be in rural villages.” 

She believes the government is trying to set a precedent by moving data centres in less privileged areas of the country and that’s why Kilmaeden people need to protest against it. 

The protests have led to the submission of more than 450 applications. The decision will be announced on 19 October 2026 and till then, the organisations will be showing up on streets. 

Ireland has become the epicenter of data centres with more than 83 data centres, spread across the country because of favourable government policies that allow subsdised rate of electricity and water facilities. 

Supporting a Maynooth University paper, published by Seán Fearon, Patrick Bresnihan, and Patrick Brodie, Jane believes, “people don’t have enough knowledge on data centres at the moment and there’s a need for more awareness.” 

According to the report, the data provided by the government is 'flawed' and 'exaggerated.' It also suggests that nearly 50,000 homes could have been built, or tens of thousands of jobs created across education, health or social sectors, if the resources used expanding data centres were directed elsewhere.