Abbott Kilkenny sod turning - check out the photographs!

Abbott today welcomed Simon Harris TD, Minister for Justice and Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, as well as IDA Ireland and local dignitaries to the site of its new manufacturing facility in Kilkenny, which will be a global manufacturing centre of excellence for Abbott's life-changing FreeStyle Libre 3 continuous glucose monitoring portfolio.

Minister Harris was joined by Jared Watkin, senior vice president of Abbott's Diabetes Care business, and they turned the sod on the site to mark the commencement of construction of the 30,000 sqm facility, which will employ in the region of 300 people during construction and more than 800 people by the time manufacturing starts in 2024.

Pictured above are Margret Morrissey, country HR Director Abbott; Jared Watkin, senior vice president of Abbott's Diabetes Care business; Simon Harris TD, Minister for Justice and Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; Aoife Willis, FreeStyle Libre Ambassador; Saman Kamali, site director Abbott's Kilkenny manufacturing site and Mary Buckley, interim CEO, IDA Ireland.  Picture: Dylan Vaughan. Click NEXT for more photographs.