Ballincollig is ‘a useful model for planning in all Irish towns’

It was once a quiet rural village with a one-sided main street. But following the opening of retail giant Tesco’s latest Irish store in Ballincollig, Co Cork, yesterday, the town on the western outskirts of Cork City now boasts one of the widest retail choices of any town in Ireland.

And while some established retailers have expressed concern at the arrival of another big-brand retailer in the town, planners have hailed the planning approach as a national example of how Irish towns should develop.

With a population of around 18,000 people, the town is now home to a Tesco; a Dunnes within trolley pushing distance; two SuperValus; two Aldi outlets and a Lidl less than a mile away.