The Square Tallaght facts for kids
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View of The Square in 2018
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| Location | Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland |
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| Coordinates | 53°17′13″N 6°22′18″W / 53.28694°N 6.37167°W |
| Address | The Square Towncentre Tallaght Dublin 24 |
| Opening date | 23 October 1990 |
| No. of stores and services | 163 |
| No. of floors | 3 (main levels) |
| Website | http://www.thesquare.ie/ |
The Square Tallaght is a large shopping centre located in Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland. It first opened its doors in 1990. You can find it easily, as it's only about 10 minutes from the M50 motorway.
This shopping centre has a huge retail area of 53,000 square metres. That's like having 163 different shops and places to explore! Lots of people visit The Square every year, with over 21 million visitors in 2016.
It also has more than 2,500 car parking spaces, so there's usually plenty of room for cars. Some of the main shops you'll find there are Dunnes Stores, Penneys, and Tesco. When The Square first opened, it was actually the biggest shopping centre in all of Ireland!
Contents
History of The Square
How The Square Began
The Square Tallaght officially opened on 23 October 1990. About 45,000 people came to see the grand opening! The person who opened it was Charles Haughey, who was the Taoiseach at the time. The Taoiseach is like the Prime Minister or leader of the government in Ireland.
Building The Square cost about £85 million. A famous radio host named Gay Byrne was also there. He even broadcast his radio show live from inside the shopping centre.
Growth in Dublin
The Square was one of the first really big shopping centres built around Dublin. It was the largest in Ireland for a while. Other big shopping centres like Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, and Dundrum Town Centre opened later.
The opening of The Square helped bring many new things to Tallaght. Soon after, places like Technological University Dublin, the National Basketball Arena, the Civic Theatre, and Tallaght University Hospital also opened nearby.
Recent Times and Plans
The Square celebrated its 25th birthday on 23 October 2015. Later, plans were approved to make the shopping centre even bigger. The idea was to add about 200,000 square feet of new shops.
However, on 23 October 2020, the plans for this big expansion were put on hold. The people managing The Square said it was because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What You Can Find at The Square
Shops and Services
The Square is more than just a place to shop. It also has offices for important public services. For example, the tax office (Revenue Commissioners) has a branch there. The Department of Social Protection, which helps people with social welfare, also has an office.
The local library branch for Tallaght is right next to The Square. There's also a Civic Theatre nearby. This theatre hosts many different shows, like plays, music, and dance. Tallaght University Hospital is also very close by.
Inside The Centre
The shopping centre has three main floors. It also has car parks both on the surface and in multi-storey buildings. There are lifts inside that help people move between floors.
Getting to The Square
Public Transport Options
It's easy to get to The Square using public transport. The Luas Red Line tram stops right at The Square. The nearest stop is the final stop on the line, called Tallaght.
Many bus routes also serve The Square Shopping Centre. Dublin Bus routes like the 27, 49, and 77a connect The Square to the city centre. Other bus companies, like Go-Ahead Ireland, have routes that link The Square to other areas. These include places like Dundrum, Blackrock, and Blanchardstown.
Images for kids
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LUAS Red Line terminus near The Square
