The High Court has been informed that a disagreement concerning a purported trespass on designated land in Co Meath, intended for a potential data centre, has been successfully settled in a cordial manner. Earlier, an interim injunction against Mannix and Shelia Coyne, who reside adjacent to the premises, had been procured by Bernard, Lorcan, Nicola and Patrica Ward, the proprietors of the 2.5-acre Bracetown site, based in Clonee.
Sanctioned by Mr Justice Mark Sanfey, the ruling impeded the accused from entering or having their livestock on the Ward’s estate. It was asserted that these supposed behaviours jeopardised a business deal to sell the land, the specifics of which are undisclosed. Within this agreement, the Wards pledged to surrender empty ownership of the territory by the conclusion of March.
The claim was made that the accused were inhibiting the owners’ ability to fulfil this agreement. Stephen Moran BL, representing the plaintiffs, declared that following discussions outside court, the issue had been “settled cordially between neighbouring parties”. As part of this agreement, it was stated that the court could issue permanent orders prohibiting the defendants from trespassing and placing their livestock on the land.
With the conclusion of the dispute, Mr Justice Sanfey upheld the settlement and agreed to postpone the issue indefinitely, with the option to bring it back before the court if required. Prior to this, the court was made aware that planning approval for the construction of a data centre, which would occupy a part of the site, had been secured by a company called Enginenode Limited. The Wards asserted that the defendants had controversially placed their horses on their property without consent, and had laid claim to some form of ownership on the estate, despite having no entitlement.
In the past, grazing licences for the land in dispute were granted to Mr Coyne by the Ward’s father, the previous owner. However, the most recent arrangement concluded in 2021, with allegations that Mr Coyne continued to let his horses graze on the land, refusing to remove them.
It has also been alleged that Mr Coyne and his relatives had previously objected without success to the planning application for the envisioned data centre. Furthermore, he had attempted to get the permit’s issuance scrutinised by the High Court. However, this move was dismissed by the Court the previous year.