RIP Feargal Quinn

road_high · 26-04-2019 07:40PM

valoren wrote: »

One word sums him up. Respect.

The man was the antithesis of the 'fumble in the greasy till' merchants that the retail sector seems to attract. A shrewd business man and a prime example of how having a stolid and steadfast reputation can benefit anyone involved in business. He was evidently one of those bosses you respected and as a consequence worked hard for. That's the ultimate for a business owner; loyalty from staff and customers. Quinn had that in spades. RIP.

I remember the one in Blanchardstown being a really good store, brilliant deli and fresh food counters. Assume that’s all destroyed now too

Amberjack · 26-04-2019 08:00PM

There’s a book of condolences at SV Sutton now and as a previous poster said the flag is at half mast.
I met him many times, was in his house and knew the family personally, all very well brought up and very down to earth.
Such a wonderful man and a testament to him that there’s nothing but praise for him here and lovely stories of his generosity and little touches that people remember. He was a true gentleman.

Archeron · 26-04-2019 08:11PM

When I was a kid my mum used to bring us to northside shopping center (the great great one) and the supermarkets were superquinn and Dunnes. The memory still today was that Dunnes somehow always had washing powder scattered over the fresh fruit section, and superquinns had the nicest cakes and breads on earth and really nice staff.

Was in the northside supevalu recently and in fairness it's still a nice shop. Still got nice bread and staff are cool. They still make the gur cakes you could knock a donkey out with too.

kravmaga · 26-04-2019 08:15PM

begbysback wrote: »

Did he own quinnsworth?

No, never. SUPERQUINN Supermarkets he used to own until 2005.

Your getting mixed up, Quinnsworth was taken over by Tesco in 1996

Quinnsworth was previously called 5 Star, showing my age here lol

McCrack · 26-04-2019 08:17PM

As a young lad Id pass one of his stores and I'd an interest in cars and was always impressed by his car.. S class Mercedes which were rare and very expensive then and one time he happened to see me admiring it and offered to show me it inside and a lift home!

As everyone has said he was a very genuine and decent man that treated people well and with respect

Rip

elperello · 26-04-2019 09:24PM

TESCO took a full page ad in the Irish Times Business Supplement today.

(A photo of FQ with the text below)

Feargal Quinn 1936-2019

Leader. Legend. Gentleman.

With deepest sympathy from all of us at Tesco.

jos28 · 26-04-2019 09:58PM

Does anyone remember the Superquinn Creche in Sutton ? I remember my eldest used to go in to it. The kids who went also got invited to a birthday party once a year. Got loadsa goodies and Feargal called in to chat to them. Yet another great idea from the great man.

sdanseo · 26-04-2019 10:01PM

I still miss Superquinn even though I'm barely 30. Never appreciated it much until now I'm doing all my own shopping. Albeit if you shopped for everything there you'd be broke fast.

SuperValu just doesn't compare. They gutted all the old shops and installed jigsaw flooring and made everything so brightly red and yellow that it hurts the eyes and resembles a playground.

Mean Laqueefa · 26-04-2019 10:06PM

jos28 wrote: »

Does anyone remember the Superquinn Creche in Sutton ? I remember my eldest used to go in to it. The kids who went also got invited to a birthday party once a year. Got loadsa goodies and Feargal called in to chat to them. Yet another great idea from the great man.

I remember the one in Finglas, little triangular thing like dairly lee shaped and my mam booting my little brother into it while i ran around with the knorr soup packet box back the front over my head pretending to be Robocop and ''helping'' with the shopping.

Bleedin great idea's he had, simpler times

beertons · 26-04-2019 10:11PM

I remember the creche in SQ in Naas. It was deadly.

Have a vague recollection of meeting Charlie Haughey outside it one day with my mam. I don't think the two of them liked each other though.

SirChenjin · 26-04-2019 10:15PM

Amberjack wrote: »

There’s a book of condolences at SV Sutton now and as a previous poster said the flag is at half mast.
I met him many times, was in his house and knew the family personally, all very well brought up and very down to earth.
Such a wonderful man and a testament to him that there’s nothing but praise for him here and lovely stories of his generosity and little touches that people remember. He was a true gentleman.

Agreed.
I am really enjoying the memories that people are sharing here.

jellybear · 26-04-2019 10:23PM

SirChenjin wrote: »

Agreed.
I am really enjoying the memories that people are sharing here.

Me too. Had completely forgotten about the creches in some of the shops. Great memories!

Stephen15 · 26-04-2019 10:23PM

sdanseo wrote: »

I still miss Superquinn even though I'm barely 30. Never appreciated it much until now I'm doing all my own shopping. Albeit if you shopped for everything there you'd be broke fast.

SuperValu just doesn't compare. They gutted all the old shops and installed jigsaw flooring and made everything so brightly red and yellow that it hurts the eyes and resembles a playground.

The rebranding to Supervalu was the final nail in the coffin for it. As soon as Quinn sold it it started going downhill fairly rapidly. Sold it at just the right time aswell in 2005 in the height of the boom.

Not a lot of business people like him focused on treating his staff and customers well and then let the profits look after themselves which they did as Superquinn was a highly successful business others looking out for profit without seeing the bigger picture.

Beechwoodspark · 26-04-2019 10:24PM

It says an awful lot that we are 9 pages into an after hours thread and nobody has a bad word to say

iamwhoiam · 26-04-2019 10:28PM

His shops were the first to have little mini shopping trollies for the kids . They had a little Superquinn flag on a pole ! The kids loved them and Feargal would spot a little flag bobbing by and always chat to the little ones .

anewme · 26-04-2019 10:30PM

He was an innovator and fantastic marketeer, one of Irelands business greats. Should well be acknowledged on RTE 9 o clock news. Not sure why anyone would think otherwise.

Mean Laqueefa · 26-04-2019 10:47PM

Just remembered,the Finglas store had free for return use large green umbrella's not cheap yokes either, down by the employee of the month photos

iamwhoiam · 26-04-2019 11:07PM

Mean Laqueefa wrote: »

Just remembered,the Finglas store had free for return use large green umbrella's not cheap yokes either, down by the employee of the month photos

And on a wet day Feargal insisted on one of the young packers stand at the door and dry the trolly handle with a paper towel

jos28 · 26-04-2019 11:42PM

Mean Laqueefa wrote: »

i ran around with the knorr soup packet box back the front over my head pretending to be Robocop and ''helping'' with the shopping.

Bleedin great idea's he had, simpler times

Funniest image ever

:D:D
That's what a childhood without electronic devices will do for ya ! Deadly

jos28 · 26-04-2019 11:44PM

Amberjack wrote: »

There’s a book of condolences at SV Sutton now and as a previous poster said the flag is at half mast.
I met him many times, was in his house and knew the family personally, all very well brought up and very down to earth.
Such a wonderful man and a testament to him that there’s nothing but praise for him here and lovely stories of his generosity and little touches that people remember. He was a true gentleman.

Heading out for a cycle tomorrow, gonna pop in and sign that book. Cheers

4Ad · 26-04-2019 11:51PM

Myself and my friend met him back in 96 in Montreal in an Irish pub, we were travelling on the cheapo, we got chatting, not having a clue, he bought us drinks and was mad to know where we had being and got up to, no way would he let us buy him a drink, it was only as the conversation went on he told us who he was..seemed a genuine nice guy.
RIP..

road_high · 27-04-2019 12:08AM

sdanseo wrote: »

I still miss Superquinn even though I'm barely 30. Never appreciated it much until now I'm doing all my own shopping. Albeit if you shopped for everything there you'd be broke fast.

SuperValu just doesn't compare. They gutted all the old shops and installed jigsaw flooring and made everything so brightly red and yellow that it hurts the eyes and resembles a playground.

It was a big loss alright and a void that hasn’t been filled though Dunnes are trying to in ways.

ChikiChiki · 27-04-2019 12:22AM

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

It says an awful lot that we are 9 pages into an after hours thread and nobody has a bad word to say

Speaks volumes. I've never seen such a consensus.

sparksfly · 27-04-2019 09:55AM

He was also unique in the way he treated delivery people. Many large store owners and managers treat these hard working suppliers appallingly, holding them up for ages waiting for a signature or generally being abusive. Delivering Butterkrust bread to Fergal's stores as a kid with my dad was always pleasent. His managers were well chosen for their agreeable manner.

DelaneyIn · 27-04-2019 01:29PM

He really broke the mould with Superquinn. It was the first Irish supermarket to give the impression that they were privileged to have you in their store, rather than the other way round.

road_high · 27-04-2019 01:53PM

DelaneyIn wrote: »

He really broke the mould with Superquinn. It was the first Irish supermarket to give the impression that they were privileged to have you in their store, rather than the other way round.

Well if you’ve ever experienced the “customer service” from some SV staff you’d think we’d gone full circle there

ToddyDoody · 27-04-2019 07:02PM

On a lighter note, anyone ever refer to him as 'Froggy'

iamwhoiam · 27-04-2019 07:43PM

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/a-genius-a-magic-authenticity-funeral-of-feargal-quinn-hears-warm-tributes-to-the-businessman-and-the-family-man-38055626.html

His French granddaughter Alexandra de Schonen recalled her childhood visits to Ireland and 'magic moments' with her grandfather.

"He was the most magical of grandfathers. He had the ability to transform a garden or beach for all of his grandchildren into a most-enchanted place because he knew the Sweet Fairy," she said.

"I had always believed he had very long discussions with the Sweet Fairy because he always knew where the sweets were hidden."

westgolf · 27-04-2019 08:37PM

Another point that is noteworthy and down to Fergal Quinn's leadership style is that there is a group of present ceo's / leaders who learned their trade at Superquinn and went onwards and upwards from there.

A man ahead of his time who raised the bar significantly...Rest Easy Sir.

SEPT 23 1989 · 27-04-2019 09:11PM

He showed how capitalism could be done properly in the right hands

A gent

RIP

RIP Feargal Quinn

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