Name: Dunnes Stores.
Address: Redmond Square, Wexford.
Phone: 053 9145688
Opening Hours – Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat: 8AM to 8PM.
Opening Hours – Thu, Fri: 8AM to 9PM.
Opening Hours – Sun: 9AM to 8PM.
Dunnes Stores is an Irish supermarket chain that sells groceries, deli food, clothes, and household items. Its Wexford supermarket opened in Redmond Square in 1991. Before that, it operated from a smaller retail unit on South Main Street.
Although the store is open most days, it closes on Christmas Day, St. Stephen’s Day, New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday. Opening hours are subject to change, and customers should call the store if unsure.
A large Pay and Display car park on Redmond Road adjoins the supermarket. Because of the one-way system, drivers should approach from 1798 Street to use this car park. A taxi rank operates outside the store.
The supermarket sits across from Wexford train station, making it a convenient stop for a sandwich or hot deli food before a journey.
History & Trivia
On 9 November 2008, the company closed its store at 9-13 South Main Street after roughly 60 years of operation. The unit remained vacant for several years. Local traders and councillors considered its appearance on the main street an eyesore. During a Wexford Borough Council meeting in 2014, George Lawlor, who was mayor at the time, said he did not believe the company was making an effort to secure a new tenant for the premises. Councillor Danny Forde agreed with him and claimed that Dunnes Stores would not allow any potential competitors to occupy the unit. In the years that followed, Boots Pharmacy opened at the former Dunnes unit at 9-13 South Main Street, having relocated from 54/56 North Main Street.
At its Redmond Square location, Dunnes Stores announced plans in 2009 to expand the store. It included a new two-storey extension and a three-storey car park. To facilitate the work, the retail chain purchased the old Wexford Glass premises at the end of Kaat’s Lane in Westgate.
Although Wexford Borough Council granted permission, local businessman Michael Tierney lodged an objection with An Bord Pleanála, stating that the redevelopment would cause him “severe financial loss.” The expansion would have adjoined the old red-brick houses at Auburn Terrace, which Tierney planned to convert into a hotel once the recession had subsided. According to Tierney, the size of the redevelopment would affect the amenity of the three houses in Auburn Terrace, which the council listed as protected structures. In 2010, An Bord Pleanála sided with him and refused planning permission to Dunnes Stores.
The late Fianna Fáil Councillor Fergie Kehoe called the decision “a slap in the face for urban renewal.” In 2013, reports indicated Tierney intended to sell his B&B at 3 Auburn Terrace and that his plans for a boutique hotel did not proceed. He died on 29 December 2022 after a battle with motor neurone disease.
Map
A map showing the location of Dunnes Stores supermarket in Wexford Town: