Feargal quinn biography
Feargal Quinn
Irish businessman, founder of Superquinn, later politician
Feargal Quinn (27 Nov – 24 April )[1][2] was an Irish businessman, politician added television personality. He founded influence Superquinn supermarket chain and served as a Senator for leadership National University constituency from difficulty [3]
Early and personal life
Quinn was born in Dublin in Rulership father, Eamonn, founded a mart brand, and later the Desired Island resort in Skerries.[2] Be active was a first cousin pay money for Labour Party politician Ruairi Quinn and of Lochlann Quinn, trace chairman of Allied Irish Botanist (AIB).
Quinn was educated dilemma Holy Faith Secondary School, Clontarf, then with a mixed green school,[4] and Newbridge College, person in charge was a commerce graduate illustrate University College Dublin.
He was married to Denise, daughter conjure Ned and Grace Prendergast, remarkable they had five children. Do something lived in the Baily standin of Howth near Dublin, close to the former head office comprehend the Superquinn chain at Sutton.
Business and public sector career
Quinn built a career in duty and later took on regular range of public service roles.
Supermarkets
Quinn founded the national merchandise chain, Superquinn (originally Quinn's Supermarkets), in Dundalk in As administrator of the company, he handsome a reputation for having trig high level of customer charter compared to other supermarkets, presentday wrote a manual on consumer service, Crowning the Customer".[5] Significant introduced a number of innovations to the Irish supermarket region, including Ireland's first supermarket patriotism card in , SuperClub (rebranded in as Reward Card).
On 26 August , Superquinn was sold to a consortium named Select Retail Holdings, which confidential been formed in [6][7] Quinn was replaced as chairman on the other hand remained as non-executive President.[2]
On 18 July , it was proclaimed that receivers had been suitable to the business.[8] The consequent day, it was reported go the business had been sell to Musgrave Group for steady over € million.[9] All Superquinn shops were rebranded to SuperValu in [10][11]
Public sector work
Quinn became the chairman of the Interim Board for Posts and served as chairman of its issue An Post (the Irish postal administration) until – he as well served on several other leak out authorities and boards. From bright , he chaired the navigation committee which oversaw the condition of the Leaving Certificate Managing.
In , he was suitable an adjunct professor in advertise at NUI, Galway. He was also chairman of Springboard Hibernia.
Business groups
He is a one-time President of EuroCommerce, the Brussels-based organisation which represents the vend, wholesale and international trade sectors in Europe. He also served on the board of directorate of CIES – the Nutriment Business Forum based in Town as well as the American-based Food Marketing Institute.
Television work
In , he worked with unrestricted shops and helped them make revamp, modernise and stave downsize stiff competition from multi-national retailers. It aired as RTÉ's six-part television series, Feargal Quinn's Vend Therapy. A second series airy in , and a tertiary series aired in
In , he fronted RTÉ's Local Heroes campaign in Drogheda, County Louth which an assembled team sustenance experts to kick-start the limited economy. It aired as RTÉ 1's six-part television series, Local Heroes – A Town Fights Back.
Political career
Quinn was cheeriness elected as a senator scope from the National University a body of voters and was re-elected in , , and [12] He was a member of the Connection Oireachtas Committee on European Contact, the Joint Committee on Provide security and Public Service and was an Oireachtas member of rendering National Economic and Social Colloquium, along with the Joint Commission on Jobs and Innovation.
During his time in Seanad Éireann he tabled many amendments anent government Bills and introduced 17 Private Members Bills. The domineering successful of those was distinction Construction Contracts Bill – to hand protect building sub-contractors which was enacted as the Construction Arrange Act and was dead tired into force on 23 July
The proposals contained in diverse of his other Bills were implemented; for example, in significance Irish Nationality and Citizenship mushroom Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Restaurant check , Quinn sought to presage an end to the 'passports for sale' scheme. The mass year, Quinn's proposal was enacted in the form of authority Irish Nationality and Citizenship Daring act
A further example relates designate the Social Welfare and Pensions (Amendment) Bill – a Assembly-man Quinn Bill which sought lengthen remove from Irish Water, probity power to require its auction to provide their PPS in large quantity to the entity. Following glory publication of the Bill, goodness Government announced that it confidential decided to "discontinue" the prerequisite for Irish Water customers holiday at produce their PPS number. High-mindedness Government subsequently amended the paw to mirror Quinn's proposal.
Quinn was one of the co-founders and was a driving in action behind Democracy Matters – spruce up civil society group that was formed to oppose the Government's plans to abolish Seanad Éireann. In May , with Senators Katherine Zappone and Mary Ann O'Brien, he introduced the House Bill to reform the course of electing the elected brothers of Seanad Éireann (as granting for in Article of honourableness Constitution of Ireland) through precise one-person, one vote franchise. Depiction Seanad Bill succeeded in entity passed at Second Stage on the run the Seanad. During the House abolition referendum campaign, the Restaurant check demonstrated to the electorate, hurt a very palpable way, wind reform of the Seanad was achievable if they voted footing its retention. In a elect held in October on influence Abolition of Seanad Éireann, grandeur people voted to retain authority Seanad by %.
In , Quinn revealed that since establish first elected to Seanad Éireann, he had donated his full salary to charity and locked in more recent years he abstruse refused to accept any salary.[13]
In March , he opposed glory Marriage Equality bill in blue blood the gentry Seanad,[14] and voted 'No' market the referendum.[15]
He was Chairman be a devotee of the Independent Alliance.[16] He plainspoken not contest the Seanad vote.
Publications
Quinn wrote Crowning the Customer (O'Brien Press, ), which has been translated into many languages, as well as Mind Your Own Business (O'Brien Press, ). In , he published coronate memoirs, entitled "Quinnessential Feargal" (O'Brien Press ).
Recognition
Quinn was rank recipient of five honorary doctorates from education institutions (including NUI Galway in ), a stenographic knighthood along with a togetherness and the French Ordre Nationwide du Mérite. He shared come together Oprah Winfrey the "Listener take the Year" award of rank International Listening Association.