GameStop for Tullamore, Midleton, Mullingar

GameStop Ireland continues to expand their network of computer games stores across the country.

The Irish division of the multinational retail giant plans to open outlets in Tullamore, Co Offaly; Midleton, Co Cork; and Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

After the openings, the Dublin operation will control 42 stores, including nine in Co Dublin, five in Co Cork, four in Northern Ireland, and shops in Birmingham and Stockport in England.

Set up in 1994 by Kevin Neary and Michael Finucane the company started in the back of a Dublin bookstore and first traded as GamesWorld before GameStop Inc bought a controlling share in 2003. At that point, the retailer re-branded its 11 outlets, and started the current expansion.

The parent company owns shops across Europe, North America, Australia, and Puerto Rico - it reported $1.7 billion in sales for the last nine weeks of 2006, a 29% jump on the same period the year before.