MacDonagh Junction – a magical shopping centre and much, much more
MacDonagh Junction is the larges shopping centre in the South East. But that is a massive under-statement for the Kilkenny centre is so much more.
It is a cultural hub, an entertainment base, a tourist attraction and a place where people meet to eat and enjoy everything from a quick coffee to a leisurely gourmet experience.
MacDonagh Junction is Kilkenny city’s residential, commercial business and leisure quarter, with an architectural style that perfectly suits its historic surroundings.
It is home to 100 luxury apartments, 40 top quality retail units, and a landmark office building. It has restaurants, space for performances, a community youth centre and leisure facilities including a bowling centre.
MacDonagh Junction is a platform for leading Irish and international retailers. The anchor tenants include Dunnes, H&M, River Island, Next and TK Maxx.
“There has been a good uplift in our retail performance over the last six years with sustained measured footfall growth, resulting in improvements in performance across mos of the brands trading at MacDonagh Junction,” says the centre’s manager, Marion Acreman.
This, she explains, has enabled MacDonagh Junction to attract brands that enhance the tenant mix and offer customers an outstanding range of fashion, food and leisure services.
Shopping at MacDonagh junction is always a pleasure. “We have top class experiential services, including a baby -feeding suite, height-adjustable changing bench and free wifi,” explains Marion. “And we have a wheelchair and buggy loan service from our award winning Age Friendly Accredited business.”
The main event space at MacDonagh Junction is known as Workhouse Square. This is a covered outdoor space with access from the main street and direct access from the shopping mall itself.
It is a courtyard-style space with a number of food options, including the Courtyard Bar & Grill, a fully serviced restaurant operated by the award winning chef, David Rousse.
The built environment at MacDonagh Junction merges beautifully with the historic buildings of both the Famine Workhouse and Goods Shed of the old railway station.
And MacDonagh Junction is home to a unique heritage offering, the free Kilkenny Famine Experience Tour. “We have targeted uses that enable us to offer lifestyle services such as optician, beauty, art classes, youth centre, banking and bowling,” says Marion.
MacDonagh Junction offers a free personal shopper service throughout the centre. It’s great opportunity to get personalised style and fashion advice from Karen Morrissey. And here’s another little bonus – there are electric charging points in the Blue Car Park at MacDonagh Junction.
The run-up to Christmas is an exciting time at MacDonagh Junction where they have been celebrating the launch of the new Star Wars movie with a whole platoon of characters to meet, greet and entertain you.
Nore Valley Park are providing an immersive festive programme in Workhouse Square. You can meet Santa and his mischievous elves and see his reindeer. You may even get the chance to bottle feed a baby reindeer.
It’s all part of the MacDonagh Junction magic.
“The benefits of doing business in Kilkenny are immeasurable and we hear that from locals and visitors on a daily basis,” says Marion Acreman. “We are acutely aware of the changing retail environment and feel the way forward for us is offering the experience people are asking for to include being open when people have time for leisurely visits and enhancing the experience to ensure the customer is valued and heard.”
