The same firm of architects that built a former Dundalk cigarette factory has now led a huge refurbishment programme to turn it into a modern, new facility at the Dundalk Institute of Technology.

Brian Cowen has officially opened the building, which formerly housed the PJ Carroll & Company factory has now been opened as the DkIT School of Informatics & Creative Arts.

The transformation has involved an investment of €38m which according to the Taoiseach represents "a vote of confidence in the Institute's future and will help further strengthen its capacity to drive economic regeneration in the northeast".

-- Advertisement --

Commenting the Taoiseach stressed the benefit of the new facility for enterprise: "Over four decades, access to higher education in the northeast has been expanded very dramatically by Dundalk Institute of Technology and this latest round of investment in the built environment on the campus will provide a suitable study and research environment for this and future generations of staff and students.

"The programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level delivered at the Carroll's Building equip graduates with the skills required by multinational companies and indigenous enterprises."

Located on a 45-acre site, the one-time cigarette factory is a listed building having captured national and international attention when built more than 40 years ago to designs by architect Ronnie Tallon of Scott Tallon Walker Architects.

The same firm of architects led the refurbishment programme with John Sisk & Son Ltd as main contractors and now, the Carroll's Building accommodates more than one-fifth of DkIT's 6,200 third- and fourth-level students.

(BMcC/GK)