Apple's €850 million Irish data centre has finally been approved by Ireland's top court (AAPL)

Apple data center plan

Apple has finally been given permission by Ireland's High Court to build a huge new data centre in Athenry, County Galway.

Justice Paul McDermott ruled that Apple should be granted permission to build the data centre on Ireland's west coast.

The data centre is expected to cost €850 million (£762 million) and create over 100 new jobs.

The huge project has been plagued by delays over the last two years after a small number of people objected to its construction, citing environmental issues and other concerns.

"This is a very important step for Athenry and for Apple," said Paul Keane, who heads up the Athenry for Apple Facebook page, which has over 4,000 members.

But the battle isn't over yet. Those that have previously objected are likely to appeal the court's decision.

Apple first announced the data centre in February 2015. When the project was announced, Apple said it intended to spend €1.7 billion (£1.5 billion) on a data centre in Ireland and another in Denmark, with each one costing €850 million (£752 million).

A decision was expected to be passed in July but a shortage of High Court judges pushed the verdict back to October.

Apple wants to build eight data halls on a 500-acre site in Derrydonnell Forest, which is owned by state-sponsored forestry firm Coillte, and situated roughly three miles from Athenry.

Apple Athenry The Denmark data centre is expected to go live later this year but the project on the west coast of Ireland, just outside a small town called Athenry in County Galway, has been held up by objectors.

Galway County Council granted Apple planning permission in September 2015 but eight objectors took the issue to local planning body An Bord Pleanála. Following public hearings in Galway last summer, An Bord Pleanála gave Apple the go-ahead to build the facility last August.

But local residents Sinéad Fitzpatrick, Allan Daly, and Wicklow landowner Brian McDonagh asked the High Court for a judicial review on environmental grounds.

Apple Ireland Apple managed to get the case fast-tracked through Ireland's Commercial Court after it filed a request last November. Around the same time, thousands of people in Athenry marched in favour of the data centre.

Earlier this year, Apple announced that it is planning to build another data centre in Denmark as it struggles to get the Irish data centre off the ground.

Apple wants to use the data centres to store European user data and to help power online services, including the iTunes Store, the App Store, iMessage, Maps, and Siri for customers across Europe.

Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

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