SPONSORED: Market Cross Shopping Centre – vital part of modern city and an elegant reminder of our past
KILKENNY was a boom town in the early fourteenth century. A wealthy merchant class had made it the largest inland town in Ireland. It bustled with traders and dealers and there was a brisk trade in wine, salt, wool, hides. timber, metals and all sorts of foodstuff.
In 1335, the Market Cross was erected as the symbol and centre of all this trade.
The imposing monument stood in the High Street between the Butterslip and the Tholsel. It was intended as a symbol of religion which, a chronicler hoped, would “inculcate silently, but forcibly, the lesson of honesty and integrity in the fulfilment of bargains and the regulation of business transactions.”
We’re not sure how well that worked. But business certainly flourished with the Market Cross at the centre of it all. The cross was removed almost 250 years ago, but the name continues to be a symbol of all that is best in Kilkenny’s retail business.
Market Cross Shopping Centre is still the place for bargains, best-buys and retail quality – and, above all, a place where shopping is always a pleasure.
It has recently been refurbished with new toilet facilities, increased cubicles, an extra baby changing room and a disability room.
A new arch has been installed at each entrance, keeping with modern design while acknowledging the history behind the Market Cross name.
The refurbishment has provided Market Cross Shopping Centre with the opportunity to showcase some of that long history, beginning with the Original Market Cross.
It features a beautifully designed ‘history wall’, which was created in a partnership between Market Cross Shopping Centre and local historical groups. The photographs show the evolution of shopping on the High Street and provide a fascinating portrait of Kilkenny’s character and style.
“By continuing this 700-year tradition, we focus on what is good and unique about our centre,” says Centre Manager, Lesley Cleere. “We aim to continue to grow our brand with Kilkenny City at the core of all that we do, paving the way as our forefathers did.
“Achieving the fine balance of looking after our customers and providing a unique experience is what sets our shopping centre apart.”
Market Cross Shopping Centre, in the heart of Kilkenny city, boasts some of the best-known branded shops and retail outlets in Ireland. The range includes SuperValu, Insomnia, Specsavers, Vero Moda, Peter Mark, Carphone Warehouse, Holland & Barrett, L’Occitane, Game Stop, Golden Discs and Kilkenny Café.
Market Cross is an elegant shopping centre, a vital part of the modern city and a distinctive reminder of its past. It is open seven days a week with easy access and up to 500 parking facilities.
For more information, log on to: https://marketcross.ie/
