GAA sportswear firm O’Neills brings 25 jobs with CastleCourt shop
SPORTSWEAR giant O’Neills, which specialises in Gaelic sportswear, is opening at Belfast’s CastleCourt Shopping Centre with the creation of 25 jobs.
CastleCourt also announced that beauty and healthcare retailer Superdrug is increasing its store in the centre to 8,000 sq ft.
O’Neills, which has more than 900 staff across Ireland, now has eight shops in Northern Ireland in total.
Kieran Kennedy, managing director of O’Neills, said: “Our investment in CastleCourt and Belfast city centre represents a significant expansion of our business in Northern Ireland and in our bricks and mortar retail offering.
“This investment complements our strong online presence and the confidence in our innovative brand and product range.”
Other retailers at CastleCourt include Matalan, DV9, SD Kells and Insomnia Coffee Company.
Lucy Elliott, retail director at CastleCourt owner Wirefox, said: “These new, additional lettings investments are a testimony to the strength, appeal and location of CastleCourt as a leading dynamic retail and hospitality destination in Belfast’s city centre which enjoys high demand and strong customer loyalty.”
And she said she believed both brands would be popular withthelargecohortofstudents who’ll move to the city centre to the new Ulster University campus, which is due to open nearby next year. It had been due to open in 2018.
Other businesses including pub chain Wetherspoon’s and Tesco also unveiled plans to open in the area in the aftermath of the university’s announcement that it would relocate there.
But while Tesco opened an Express store in 2014, Wetherspoon’s application for a license to trade from a former JJB sports store in Royal Avenue was not successful.