Army site is sold

The sale of the 17-hectare site was completed recently and the Crumlin company confirmed it bought the site, which had been on sale with an asking price of £4m.

A spokesperson for Randox Laboratories said: “We have purchased the site and will be giving due consideration to its use as we go forward.”

Councillor for the area Adrian Watson described the sale of the site as the ‘biggest acquisition’ in the borough for “many, many years” adding there was real potential for a major boost to local employment. “I believe there will be significant employment opportunities,” Cllr Watson said.

He added: “I’m particularly delighted that the buyer has shown such a vote of confidence in the borough for their business. The news of the sale of Massereene Barracks to Randox has also been welcomed by Alderman Drew Ritchie, who said that he was pleased Randox had purchased the site.

Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar were killed at Massereene by members of the Real IRA. The barracks, which had been home to 38 Engineers, closed in 2010.