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All smiles for man behind Ballymun IKEA idea

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

THE opening of IKEA in Ballymun this week put a broad smile on the face of the man who 11 years ago began the process of bringing the iconic name to an area that was at the time one of the country’s most notorious blackspots of unemployment and social deprivation. Ciarán Murray had just taken up position as head of Ballymun Regeneration Ltd. (BRL) when he first pitched the idea of opening a store in the ‘mun’ to IKEA bosses back in 1998.  “Some people say I’m responsible for bringing IKEA to Ireland,” Mr Murray said last week. “I guess I did pitch the idea and pursue and persuade the company for quite some time. “I first met their representatives when I went to IKEA headquarters in England back in 1998 to pitch the idea of moving to Ireland. “I knew back then just what a huge brand and a reputable company IKEA was and just what it could do to make Ballymun a ‘destination’.” Eleven years later and Mr Murray, along with several others in BRL and indeed the wider Ballymun community, can celebrate an achievement which many would have though impossible just a decade ago. Mr Murray approached IKEA even before the company first opened its Belfast store, which was, until this week, the only branch on the island of Ireland. Before that thousands of Irish shoppers made regular day trips to IKEA stores in the UK such was the reputation and popularity of the brand. “IKEA had been looking at the Irish market when I first met with them,” Mr Murray told Northside People. “They had a rule at the time that they would only set up in regions where the population was over five million to support the business but at the time the main thing was that the relations between IKEA and Ballymun had been established at an early stage.” When IKEA eventually decided to locate to Ireland, they considered sites in Balbriggan, South Dublin, another area of Fingal and the midlands of Ireland. “Once IKEA made the decision to move to Ireland, we were then thrown into a competition with other landowners so we had to work hard to persuade them that Ballymun was the best site for the store,” Mr Murray continued. “They finally decided to locate to Ballymun in 2004 so all our hard work paid off. “I have eight or ten folders of correspondence that have gone between ourselves at BRL and IKEA.” The BRL manager explained what “pull” he used to entice IKEA to Ballymun. “We have a large population catchment area and the site is supported by a superb road infrastructure. “We are close to the Port Tunnel which has its obvious advantage for the transportation of goods from abroad and the site is convenient to the airport for the store managers who need to travel on business.” The opening of the giant luminous yellow and blue store created 500 much-needed jobs, 100 of which have been provided through the local workforce and with the help of the Ballymun Job Centre. “I think IKEA has the potential to transform Ballymun,” MR Murray stated. “The first thing it will do is promote a confidence from investors. IKEA are noted for their detailed planning and careful consideration in where they move. It’s a huge endorsement for Ballymun. “The store will also make Ballymun a destination. It has huge pulling power as it has something to offer people of all age groups.” Mr Murray says the work on promoting Ballymun for further investment is far from finished.  “We lobbied hard to get the Metro to Ballymun,” he said. “We are actively pursuing a number of other businesses. We are already in talks with companies involved in smart technology and those in the environmental, research and developmental sectors. We feel that’s where the future is at.”