The MacDonagh Junction Kilkenny city quarter has officially opened.

The €300 million development forms part of the city's Intregrated Area Plan which features over a 100 luxury apartments, 50 retail units, a hotel, office buildings, restaurants, performances space and a even bowling centre. An estimated 500 jobs have been created.

MacDonagh Junction's retailers will settle into the new development over the next two months. In addition to the anchor tenant Dunnes there will be a variety of stores including Mexx, Benetton, Fields Jewellers, Carphone Warehouse, Champion Sports, River Island and Virgin Megastores.

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The new city quarter provides 1,100 car parking spaces.

The site has major heritage significance - the former Kilkenny Workhouse (Famine Period) has been restored and integrated into the development, covered by a glass atrium.

Over 800 skeletal remains from the Great Famine were found in archaeological digs prior to construction, these will be respectfully re-interred in a crypt on the same site next year.

Paul Hanby, a senior partner in MacDonagh Junction Development said: "This process has yielded a new city quarter which will be very highly regarded not just in Kilkenny but throughout Ireland.

"Kilkenny has a proud heritage and it has served as the engine of the wider regional economy for centuries before today. It is fitting that a world class development of this nature has been put in place which will attract further commercial, consumer and residential activity into the city."

The Mayor of Kilkenny, Cllr. Marie Fitzpatrick was accompanied by Minister of State, John McGuinness and senior partners from the MacDonagh Junction development company at the openning ceremony.

(GK/JM)