PAT QUINN:PAT QUINN, who has died aged 74, was the founder of the Quinnsworth supermarket chain, which he launched in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, in 1966. He later opened branches in Dundrum, Rathfarnham, Ballymun in Co Dublin, Shannon in Co Clare, Cork and Galway. The chain had a turnover of £6 million in 1971.
He established an immediate rapport with shoppers, and a journalist who observed him at work described him as “friendly, informal, approachable, likeable, straightforward, and a man of the people”. These were the qualities highlighted in advertisements featuring the flamboyant Quinn in his trademark polo-neck jumper, which made him one of Ireland’s best-known businessmen.
Once on the verge of hiring George Best to open a new store, when he was told the fee was £1,000 he decided he was sufficiently well known to perform the opening himself, and gave the money to charity.
In the early 1970s he sold his controlling interest in the Quinnsworth group to Galen Weston’s Associated British Foods. He then established the Pat Quinn Club, a sports and leisure complex, at Kilternan in south Dublin.
After he announced the venture, he chartered a plane to fly a party of journalists to Bristol to visit a country club to show them what he had in mind for Kilternan. But the Pat Quinn Club did not prosper and became known as “one of the most spectacular [Irish] business failures on record”.
Born in 1935, Pat Quinn grew up Cloone, Co Leitrim, where his father was a garda and his mother ran a pub and grocery. Educated locally and at St Mel’s College, Longford, he entered the retail trade with a Woolworth’s outlet in Limerick.
He next worked with his uncle, a shopkeeper in Longford, before emigrating to Canada. In Toronto he worked in a branch of Sayvette’s department stores. He quickly made his mark and was appointed assistant general manager of the London, Ontario, branch.
A music promoter in his spare time, he introduced performers such as Johnny Cash, the Rolling Stones and the Dave Clark Five to Canadian audiences.
In 1965 he returned to Ireland on three months’ leave of absence, but remained on after being recruited as general manager of the H Williams supermarket group. One of his first recommendations was that the group should open a branch in the Stillorgan shopping centre. Williams, however, decided otherwise and Quinn decided to take the plunge himself, opening a store on the Woolworth’s model.
The business got off to a disastrous start, but picked up when he switched to grocery. He and his wife worked long hours, staying on after the close of business to wash the floors.
His main competitors were Dunnes Stores, Superquinn, H Williams, Liptons and Five Star. On the advice of his advertising agency, he became the public face of Quinnsworth. He is credited with inventing the term “yellow pack” for his cut-price brand.
Outside of work, Pat enjoyed the good life. Home was a well-appointed house in Killiney; his car was a silver Rolls Royce complete with telephone. The second family car was a Mercedes. He had three racehorses in training, one named Leitrim, which regularly finished second to the delight of the bookies. But it didn’t cost him a thought. At a race meeting in Leopardstown he placed bets for all the members of his party and presented them with their winnings.
Before opening the Pat Quinn Club, he bought into the Mooneys pub chain in Dublin. He bought several other pubs, including the Dead Man’s Inn at Palmerstown, which he closed and reopened before finally calling time in 1975. Mooneys went into receivership.
Undaunted, he opened a pool hall over the Stella cinema in Rathmines, adding two more in Bray and Drogheda. He operated an “executive coach service” (a bus with a bar) that ferried businessmen to events up and down the country.
There followed discount stores in Finglas and Ballymun, as well as the “plush” Pierrot snooker and gaming club in Ringsend. The final throw of the dice was the Shoparound Centre in South Great George’s Street, Dublin, which closed early in 1986 after poor Christmas trading.
Later that year, he returned to Canada. After a stint selling discount books, he went back to the bar trade. He and his family ran the well-known Irish Embassy and PJ O’Briens in Toronto, as well as a restaurant business. They also opened a bar in Montreal. His many Irish and Canadian friends will remember him as a popular publican and gifted storyteller.
He is survived by his wife Anne, sons Bernard, Patrick, Paul, Gavin and Barry and daughters Lisa and Tania.
Pat Quinn: born July 1st, 1935; died November 23rd, 2009