Insomniacs and late-night shoppers received some good news yesterday when Tesco announced a further four stores will open 24-hours from Monday.

Hoping to cater to shift workers and those who'd rather shop than sleep, the UK retailer is introducing extended hours to branches in Artane, Bray, Maynooth and Newbridge.

Tesco unveiled its first all-night outlet, at Clearwater, Finglas, in Dublin, in September.

Sixty new jobs will be created across the four stores. All-night opening is expected to be widened to other Tesco branches in coming weeks.

Mr Dermot Breen, director of corporate affairs at Tesco Ireland, said the success of the Clearwater experiment prompted the decision to extend late night shopping.

Although long-established in Britain and elsewhere, late-night supermarkets are still a curiosity in the Republic.