It’s claimed a planned new data centre for Ennis will help move the town into the next era and compete with the likes of Limerick and Galway.
Clare County Council has revealed plans for the major development for the county town, with the potential to generate hundreds of jobs.
It’s been hailed as a ‘game changer.’
Last November, Clare County Council put the call out for expressions of interest from land owners for sites of 50 acres or more that would be suitable for data centre developments.
Now, a year later, a 51 hectare site close to the Tulla Road junction of the M18 has been identified and they’re seeking to amend the county development plan to include the facility.
It would require up to €500 million of an investment but President of Ennis Chamber Diarmuid McMahon says it’s time Ennis moved on to the next generation.
No company has yet been identified to take over the site, but the likes of Facebook, Apple and Amazon were mentioned as possible investors during yesterday’s meeting on the issue.
The local authority is to work with the government and the IDA in sourcing one.
Should it proceed, and should planning permission be secured, work could begin as early as September 2019, with 400 direct jobs, 600 indirect positions, and a further 1,100 positions over a five-year construction period.
Council Director of Services Liam Conneely believes the site will be a very attractive proposition.
A Council delegation travelled to Sweden in recent months to see a similar facility that is already up-and-running in the town of Lulea and plans to bring one here were warmly welcomed by most local representatives last evening.
Among them, Ennis Municipal District representatives Tom McNamara and Pat Daly.
