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Minister Darragh O’Brien hails development of the Abbey Quarter in Kilkenny City as “an exemplar of Town Centre First”

It's as the first tenants began moving in

“The development of the Abbey Quarter is an exemplar of Town Centre First”.

So said the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Darragh O’Brien was in Kilkenny yesterday (Monday, 16th May) to cut the ribbon on the Brewhouse and public realm.

The Brewhouse building has been renovated with at least three tenants between them set to have 400 staff on site.

The first of those, O’Neill Foley, began their move into offices also yesterday and two of those spoke with KCLR News:

Glanbia Ireland is currently fitting out its space and there’s an as yet unnamed business too due to move in.

The public realm section launched on the day surrounds the building and comprises seating and landscaped green areas on either side.

KCLR News’ reporter Edwina Grace caught up with Minister O’Brien to ask him about the Abbey Quarter, the hopes for a South East Technological University campus there and other topics too – hear that in full here:

However, his department colleague, junior Minister for Heritage and Carlow Kilkenny Green TD Malcolm Noonan, has some reservations regarding the site plan (more on that here).