Northside Shopping Centre
A suburban shopping centre and community retail complex in Coolock, northern Dublin.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Northside Shopping Centre is a suburban retail and community complex in Coolock, in northern Dublin, Ireland. It opened in October 1970 as a joint development involving Green Property Ltd. and Dublin Corporation, and was planned to serve the expanding residential communities of north Dublin with a combination of shops and public amenities. The centre’s initial concept was broader than a conventional retail scheme: early plans referred to the inclusion of a library and swimming pool, reflecting the period’s interest in integrating civic facilities into large suburban developments. The project was publicly presented in 1967 by John Corcoran, managing director of Green Property Ltd., in discussions involving Dublin Corporation and architect Sam Stephenson of Stephenson Gibney & Associates. Construction was expected to begin in 1968, and the first phase was nearing completion by late 1969. The development was reported as having an estimated total cost of approximately £1 million at that time, although this historical figure should not be treated as a current valuation or investment measure. By September 1970, all 56 shopping units were reported to have been let, and the scheme contained more than 80,000 square feet of shopping space. The centre officially opened on 1 October 1970, with the opening conducted by British television interviewer and radio personality Simon Dee. Superquinn, led at the time by Feargal Quinn, was announced as a major food anchor tenant, with a planned store of approximately 22,000 square feet. A swimming pool operated by Dublin Corporation opened on the second floor on 5 May 1971. Reported as the first facility of its type in Ireland, the 10,000-square-foot rooftop pool became one of the complex’s distinctive community features and remained in operation for more than five decades. Northside Shopping Centre changed substantially through renovations and extensions during the 1980s and again in 2008. These works altered much of Stephenson’s original open-space design. The centre later experienced a significant repositioning after the departure of a Dunnes Stores non-food branch. A further refurbishment programme announced in 2013 was budgeted at €5 million and included new retail and leisure occupiers, dining facilities, a Heatons store with Sportsworld, and a Well Woman Centre. The modernisation was delivered in two phases and was completed in late 2016, covering both the interior and exterior of the complex. The centre was included among property assets associated with Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). Patron Capital acquired it in 2015 for €49 million, and German investor AM Alpha subsequently acquired the property in 2019 for €50 million. These transaction figures are historical purchase prices rather than current market values. In March 2023, the planned closure of the rooftop swimming pool was announced after more than 50 years of operation, marking a notable change to the centre’s original civic and recreational offering. Today, Northside Shopping Centre is best understood as a local and regional retail destination rather than a consumer-goods brand. Its role is based on accommodating multiple independent and national retailers, food and service businesses, and community-oriented facilities. The centre has also appeared in popular media: a Paddy Power bookmakers branch in its car park was featured as one of the locations visited in an episode of Channel 4’s Undercover Boss. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current tenant directory, a current owner beyond the reported 2019 acquisition, or a standalone corporate management structure.
History
Northside Shopping Centre emerged from plans developed in the late 1960s for a substantial suburban shopping and community facility in Coolock, northern Dublin. In May 1967, John Corcoran, managing director of Green Property Ltd., presented plans involving Dublin Corporation and architect Sam Stephenson of Stephenson Gibney & Associates. The proposed scheme was intended to serve the growing population of north Dublin and was to include not only shops but also public amenities such as a library and swimming pool. The centre’s principal frontage faced Coolock Lane, which was subsequently renamed Oscar Traynor Road. Construction was expected to start in 1968, with completion targeted within two years. The project was structured as a joint venture between Green Property Ltd. and Dublin Corporation. By November 1969, the first construction stage was close to completion, with the total development cost estimated at approximately £1 million. In July 1970, Superquinn managing director Feargal Quinn announced plans for a 22,000-square-foot supermarket at the site. The centre was scheduled to open the following month and was reported to contain more than 80,000 square feet of shopping accommodation. The official opening took place on 1 October 1970 and was conducted by Simon Dee, a British television interviewer and radio disc jockey. By the preceding month, all 56 retail units had reportedly been let. The development therefore opened as a fully occupied suburban retail centre rather than as a partially completed scheme. Its design and tenant mix reflected the period’s model of combining everyday shopping with local services and communal facilities. A major civic feature was the swimming pool on the second floor. Operated by Dublin Corporation, the 10,000-square-foot facility opened on 5 May 1971 and was described in contemporary accounts as the first swimming pool of its kind in Ireland. The pool gave the centre a role extending beyond retail and became a long-running part of its identity. More than five decades later, its planned closure was announced in March 2023. The physical complex was altered by renovations and extensions in the 1980s and in 2008. These interventions changed much of Stephenson’s original open-space concept. The centre later underwent another period of repositioning after the loss of a Dunnes Stores non-food anchor. In 2013, a further €5 million refurbishment was announced. The project introduced or accommodated new shops and facilities, including Heatons with Sportsworld, additional dining, and a Well Woman Centre. A two-stage modernisation of the interior and exterior was completed in late 2016. Ownership also changed during the period following Ireland’s property and banking crisis. The centre was included among property assets associated with NAMA and was sold to Patron Capital in 2015 for a reported €49 million. In 2019, AM Alpha, a German investor, reportedly acquired it for €50 million. These transactions demonstrate the centre’s treatment as an investment property as well as a local retail destination, but available reference material does not provide a complete ownership or management history. Northside Shopping Centre has retained a presence in local and popular culture. A Paddy Power bookmakers branch located in the car park was used as one of the venues visited in an episode of Channel 4’s Undercover Boss. Public reference material does not provide a complete current tenant list, detailed operating statistics, or comprehensive information about the centre’s present management. Its documented history nevertheless shows a progression from a 1970 civic-retail development to a modernised suburban shopping complex whose identity has been shaped by successive refurbishments, changes in anchor occupancy, property transactions, and the eventual loss of its long-standing swimming-pool amenity.
- 2023
Swimming pool closure announced
[1]The rooftop swimming pool was scheduled to close after operating for more than 50 years.
- 2019
AM Alpha purchase
[1]AM Alpha reportedly acquired the centre for €50 million.
- 2016
Modernisation completed
[1]The two-phase interior and exterior refurbishment was completed late in the year.
- 2015
Patron Capital purchase
[1]Patron Capital acquired the centre for a reported €49 million.
- 2013
New refurbishment programme announced
[1]A further refurbishment was announced, including new shops, dining facilities, and service occupiers.
- 2008
Further renovation and extension
[1]The centre underwent additional renovation and extension work, continuing the alteration of its original open-space design.
- 1971
Swimming pool opens
[1]Dublin Corporation opened a 10,000-square-foot swimming pool on the centre’s second floor on 5 May.
- 1970
Shopping centre opens
[1]Northside Shopping Centre officially opened on 1 October with 56 occupied units and more than 80,000 square feet of shopping space.
- 1969
First construction stage nears completion
[1]The first stage was nearing completion, with the overall cost estimated at approximately £1 million.
- 1968
Construction planned
[1]Work was expected to begin within two months and the project was targeted for completion within two years.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented suburban shopping centre serving Coolock and surrounding areas of northern Dublin, combining everyday retail with services, dining, and historically significant civic amenities.
Shopping centre accommodation · 1970
Retail units
The centre’s core offering is a collection of retail units leased to multiple tenants. At opening, the development had 56 fully let shopping units and more than 80,000 square feet of shopping area. Its documented tenant history includes food retail, non-food retail, sports retail, bookmakers, and other local services, although a current tenant directory is not established by the available reference material.
Community and leisure facility · 1971
Swimming pool
A 10,000-square-foot swimming pool operated by Dublin Corporation opened on the centre’s second floor in May 1971. It was described as the first facility of its kind in Ireland and remained a distinctive civic feature for more than five decades. Its closure was announced in 2023.
Food and services · 2013
Dining and service facilities
The refurbishment programme announced in 2013 and completed in 2016 expanded the centre’s dining and service proposition. Reported additions included new dining facilities and a Well Woman Centre, alongside retail changes such as Heatons with Sportsworld.
Brand decisions
2023
Closure of rooftop swimming poolStrategyBackground
The rooftop pool had operated for more than 50 years as one of the centre’s community amenities.
Action taken
Closure of the swimming pool was announced.
Aftermath
The decision ended one of the centre’s longest-running non-retail facilities, although the available source does not state the exact closure date or the reason.
2019
Sale to AM AlphaM&ABackground
After the 2015 acquisition by Patron Capital and the completion of a major modernisation programme, the centre was sold again.
Action taken
German investor AM Alpha acquired the centre for a reported €50 million.
Aftermath
AM Alpha became the reported owner of the property; detailed current operating arrangements are not established in the available material.
Reported acquisition price. €50 million (2019)
2015
Sale to Patron CapitalM&ABackground
Northside Shopping Centre was among property assets associated with NAMA.
Action taken
Patron Capital acquired the centre in a reported transaction valued at €49 million.
Aftermath
The property subsequently changed hands again in 2019.
Reported acquisition price. €49 million (2015)
2013
Repositioning through refurbishmentStrategyBackground
The centre announced a further refurbishment after losing a Dunnes Stores non-food branch and needing to refresh its retail and service offer.
Action taken
A reported €5 million programme introduced new shops, dining facilities, and service uses, including Heatons with Sportsworld and a Well Woman Centre.
Aftermath
The work was delivered in two phases and the interior and exterior modernisation was completed in late 2016.
Refurbishment budget. €5 million (Announced in 2013)
Sources1 sources
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