Construction work has commenced on the new €15m Interdisciplinary Research Building at NUI Maynooth.

Walls Construction was awarded the contract to build the state-of-the-art unit, which will result in 150 new construction jobs.

The sod-turning event marks the beginning of NUI Maynooth's ten-year Campus Development Plan which will provide students with new facilities for research, learning and teaching.

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Once completed in 2010, the new 4,500 sq m building will house three of the University's world renowned research institutes: NCG (National Centre for Geocomputation), NIRSA (National Institute for Research and Spatial Analysis) and An Foras Feasa, the Institute for Research in Irish Historical and Cultural Traditions

Designed by architects Scott Tallon Walker, the building - located on the University's North Campus, alongside the John Hume Building - was planned to complement the existing buildings.

(PR/JM)