The MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey

MeerKAT's large number of antennas, spanning 8 km with a densely packed 1 core, create powerful instrument for wide-area surveys, high sensitivity over wide range angular scales. The MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey (MGCLS) is programme long-track L-band (900-1670 MHz) observations 115 galaxy clusters, observed $\sim$6-10 hours each in full polarisation. first legacy product data release (DR1), made available this paper, includes the visibilities, basic image cubes at $\sim$8" resolution, and enhanced spectral polarisation 15" resolutions. Typical sensitivities full-resolution MGCLS products are $\sim$3-5 {\mu}Jy/beam. full-field span 4 deg^2. consist inner 1.44 deg^2 field view, corrected primary beam. survey fully sensitive to structures up $\sim$10' scales bandwidth allows Faraday rotation mapping. HI mapping 209 kHz resolution can be done $0<z<0.09$ $0.19<z<0.48$. In we provide an overview DR1 products, including caveats usage. We present some initial results from survey, both their intrinsic scientific value highlight capabilities further exploration these data. These include beam-corrected compact source catalogue $\sim$626,000 sources optical/infrared cross-matched Abell S295. examine dust unbiased star-formation rates as function clustercentric radius 99 diffuse cluster (56 new), which have no suitable characterisation. also radio galaxies challenge current paradigms studies four targets.