Harbour Place Shopping Centre
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA shopping centre in Mullingar, County Westmeath, anchored by a major Dunnes Stores department and grocery outlet.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Harbour Place Shopping Centre is a retail complex in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. It occupies a former sawmill site near the junction of Friars Mill Road and Harbour Street and serves the town and surrounding communities with a combination of grocery, clothing, beauty, food, services and specialty retail. The centre opened on 17 June 1997 after more than a decade of planning controversy and redesign. The project originated in 1986, when Deerland Construction Limited proposed a 107,000-square-foot, 40-unit complex with more than 500 parking spaces and a 41,000-square-foot Dunnes Stores outlet. The original proposal was rejected by An Bord Pleanála in 1987 after objections concerning its scale, possible effects on established town-centre retailers, traffic generation, demolition and access around Harbour Street. A reduced scheme was subsequently developed. In 1991, Deerland secured support from a majority of local business representatives for a revised six-acre plan, followed by permission from Westmeath County Council and, later that year, An Bord Pleanála. The revised development was presented as a smaller and more locally acceptable project than the original proposal. Construction was scheduled to begin in 1995, with sixteen tenants reportedly committed before completion. The centre ultimately opened at a reported cost of £12 million. Dunnes Stores was the principal anchor from the start, combining grocery and clothing operations and becoming one of the larger Dunnes branches in Ireland. The complex also acquired a community and media role: Mullingar Community Radio, then associated with Midland Radio 3 and later Midlands 103, opened a studio on the first floor in June 1997. The property became part of The Harvest Portfolio, a group of Irish shopping centres auctioned in 2014 on behalf of the National Asset Management Agency. Harbour Place was subsequently acquired by Sigma Retail Partners in July 2015. Its tenant mix has changed over time. Golden Discs closed its unit in January 2015, with the operator citing insufficient commercial viability at that location. By 2025, the centre contained 22 listed tenants alongside Dunnes Stores, including national chains, independent retailers, cafés, personal-care businesses, food specialists and local media operations. Bannon was appointed property manager and leasing agent in September 2023. The centre has also expanded its leisure role. Omniplex sought permission in 2019 to build a five-screen cinema on a disused overflow car park behind the centre. Westmeath County Council granted permission in April 2020. Although the COVID-19 pandemic delayed construction, preliminary works began in April 2022, and Omniplex Mullingar opened on 16 December 2022 following a reported €5 million investment. Harbour Place therefore functions not only as a conventional shopping centre but also as part of Mullingar's broader retail and entertainment infrastructure.
History
Harbour Place Shopping Centre developed from a controversial proposal for a large retail complex on the former Flanagan's Sawmills site in Mullingar. Deerland Construction Limited announced the first plan in 1986. It called for a 40-unit, 107,000-square-foot centre, over 500 parking spaces and a substantial Dunnes Stores outlet. The proposal encountered opposition from RGDATA, the Harbour Street Residents Association and private objectors. In 1987, An Bord Pleanála rejected it, citing concerns about excessive scale, traffic, access and potential harm to existing town retailers. The project remained dormant while a smaller alternative was considered. In April 1991, Deerland met with the Mullingar Business Association to discuss a revised six-acre scheme. The vote recorded majority support, and planning permission was subsequently granted by Westmeath County Council. An Bord Pleanála approved the revised proposal in December 1991. The redesigned project was more acceptable to local stakeholders, although the Mullingar Chamber of Commerce later argued that the centre should not be incorporated into a wider urban-renewal programme for nearby streets. By late 1994, construction was expected to begin in early 1995, and sixteen tenants had reportedly reserved units. Harbour Place opened on 17 June 1997 at a reported cost of £12 million. Dunnes Stores opened simultaneously as the anchor, offering both groceries and clothing. On 28 June, a studio for Mullingar Community Radio opened on the first floor. The station was associated with Midland Radio 3, later rebranded Midlands 103, giving the complex a role beyond retail. The ownership history later became linked to Ireland's post-financial-crisis property disposals. In November 2014, Harbour Place was auctioned with other centres in The Harvest Portfolio on behalf of the National Asset Management Agency. Sigma Retail Partners acquired it in July 2015. The tenant base continued to evolve, including the closure of Golden Discs in January 2015 after its operator concluded that the unit was no longer commercially viable. A major later change was the addition of cinema facilities. Omniplex proposed a five-screen cinema on a disused overflow car park behind the centre and received planning permission in April 2020. The pandemic delayed construction, but preliminary work began in April 2022. Omniplex Mullingar opened on 16 December 2022 after a reported €5 million project. By 2025, the centre had 22 listed tenants besides its Dunnes Stores anchor, spanning national retailers, independent shops, food outlets, beauty and grooming services, floristry, mobile and digital services, and local broadcasting. Bannon became the site's property manager and leasing agent in September 2023.
- 2023
Bannon appointed
[1]Bannon became property manager and leasing agent for the centre.
- 2022
Omniplex Mullingar opens
[1]The cinema opened on 16 December after pandemic-related construction delays.
- 2020
Cinema permission granted
[1]Planning permission was granted for a five-screen Omniplex cinema on the rear overflow car park.
- 2015
Sigma Retail Partners acquisition
[1]Sigma Retail Partners acquired Harbour Place after the portfolio disposal process.
- 2014
Harvest Portfolio auction
[1]The centre was auctioned with other Irish shopping centres on behalf of NAMA.
- 1997
Centre opens
[1]Harbour Place officially opened on 17 June with Dunnes Stores as anchor tenant.
- 1991
Reduced scheme approved
[1]A revised six-acre plan received local business support and proceeded through county and national planning approval.
- 1987
Initial plan rejected
[1]An Bord Pleanála rejected the first proposal following objections concerning scale, traffic, access and effects on existing town-centre retail.
- 1986
Original development proposal announced
[1]Deerland Construction proposed a large 40-unit shopping complex on the former Flanagan's Sawmills site, including a Dunnes Stores anchor and more than 500 parking spaces.
Products and positioning
A local and regional shopping destination combining a large Dunnes Stores anchor with convenience retail, independent specialists, personal services and cinema-led leisure.
Anchor department and grocery retail · 1997
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores is Harbour Place's principal anchor. The branch combines grocery retail with clothing, giving the centre a high-frequency everyday-shopping offer alongside its smaller specialty tenants. It opened with the shopping centre in 1997 and is described as one of the larger Dunnes Stores branches operating in Ireland.
Cinema and leisure · 2022
Omniplex Mullingar
Omniplex Mullingar is a five-screen cinema built on a previously disused overflow car park behind Harbour Place. Planning permission was granted in 2020, preliminary work began in 2022 and the cinema opened on 16 December 2022, broadening the centre's role from shopping into evening and family entertainment.
Multi-tenant retail and services
Harbour Place tenant mix
The centre's listed tenants in 2025 included Peter Mark, Holland & Barrett, Paul Byron Shoes, Esquires, Card Factory, Boots, Carraig Donn, Sweet Pea, Fit Culture Clothing, The Brow Bar Lounge, Boston Barber Bars, Peatai&Co, C.R. Tormey butchers, Claire's, Samie Ladies, Hale vape shop, Bookstation, O'Hehir's pâtisserie, Midlands 103, Waterlily Florist, Mobile King and IDFL. Together they cover fashion, footwear, health, beauty, food, books, gifts, communications and local media.
Brand decisions
2019
Develop a five-screen cinemaProduct launchBackground
Omniplex identified an opportunity to add cinema entertainment to the shopping-centre site using a disused rear overflow car park.
Action taken
Omniplex applied for permission to build a five-screen cinema. Approval followed in April 2020, construction began after pandemic delays and the cinema opened in December 2022.
Aftermath
The opening added a leisure and evening-visit component to Harbour Place's retail offer.
Reported project cost. €5 million (2022)
2015
Acquire Harbour Place through the Harvest Portfolio disposalM&ABackground
Harbour Place was included in a portfolio of Irish shopping centres auctioned on behalf of the National Asset Management Agency.
Action taken
Sigma Retail Partners acquired the shopping centre in July 2015.
Aftermath
Sigma Retail Partners became the identified owner of the centre, while its tenant mix continued to change.
1991
Scale down and redesign the developmentStrategyBackground
The original proposal had been rejected over concerns about its size, traffic effects and relationship with existing Mullingar retail. Deerland Construction revisited the scheme with local business representatives.
Action taken
The developer pursued a reduced six-acre plan rather than the original 107,000-square-foot concept. The revised proposal received majority support at a local business meeting and subsequently gained planning approval.
Aftermath
The redesigned centre proceeded to construction and opened in 1997.
Sources1 sources
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