Work begins on Newbridge shopping centre

THE largest shopping centre planned for outside Dublin, the €175 million White Water Centre in Newbridge, was officially kicked off by former soccer international Niall Quinn yesterday.

Work has just started on the massive shopping scheme, on the site of the former Irish Ropes company in Newbridge.

The Kildare town, now by-passed and at the centre of massive population growth, is identified as a Primary Development Centre in the National Spatial Strategy. Growth of 40% is expected over the next five years from a current catchment of 159,000, and core population of 49,000.