Feargal Quinn
“He was wonderful, a wonderful brother, he was a wonderful husband, he was a wonderful father, grandfather” –Eilagh Hyland ( Sister)
In whatever capacity Feargal was always seemed a cheery positive energy, the embodiment of a “can do”culture, but was he always like that?
“There wasn’t a private and a public Feargal, he was the same Feargal that you got…From the moment he woke up, he woke up with a smile, with a bounce, singing Oklahoma, “Oh What a Beautiful Morning”… badly singing by the way!” –Gilliane Quinn de Shonen (Daughter)
Feargal had the grocery business in his blood, his grandfather had founded a successful family grocery business; Quinn’s The Milestone in Newry, Co. Down. This expanded to Dublin in his father’s time but there was a family dispute, which was settled out of court. Leaving the family business Feargal’s father agreed to never to compete in the grocery trade and used a financial settlement to open a holiday camp in Skerries, long before Butlins. So Feargal and his sister Eilagh grew up in the seasonal holiday camp business at Red Island.
“Bhí campa saoire ag a athair i Skerries agus dúirt Feargal liom uair agus uair cheana, ‘is ansin a d’fhoghlaim mé na scileanna daoine atá agam’.” Former Senator Joe O’Toole
Feargal spent some time in France after completing a commerce degree in UCD. On his return to Ireland he decided to set up in what was to be his lifelong metier – Quinn’s Supermarket in Dundalk.
“His famous principle of “Éist le fuaim na habhainn, mar gheobhaidh tú iasc”, listen to the sound of the river and you’ll catch your fish…his whole theory was you need to listen to what the customer is telling you if you want to be successful in business.”
Gilliane Quinn de Shonen (Daughter)
From that first shop, Feargal grew a supermarket chain that punched very much above its weight on the world stage of retailing and which very much lived up to its name – Superquinn.
“Tá a fhios agam gur minic a deirtear, ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís, ach i gcás Feargal Quinn, tá sé fíor.” Aodhán Ó Conghaile, NIRC