Name: Tesco
Address: Distillery Road, Wexford, Y35 AD98
Phone Number: (0818) 555 428
Opening Hours: 8AM to 10PM daily
Pharmacy Phone Number: 053 916 6355
Tesco supermarket sits on Distillery Road in Wexford Town. The 63,000 sq. ft. premises opened on 26 February 2007, with former Wexford hurling goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry performing the official opening. It was the largest Tesco store in Ireland outside Dublin at the time.
The company built the supermarket on the site of the former Pierce’s Foundry, which manufactured engineering and agricultural machinery.
The first general manager was Ronan Doyle, a native of Oulart
The store initially operated 24 hours a day, though that was later reduced during the post-2008 Irish economic downturn.
The car park offers 610 spaces.
Current facilities include First Choice Pharmacy, F&F Clothing, a Click+Collect service, an EV charging point, a recycling section (including soft plastics), two ATMs, Chapz Barbers, and Wi-Fi.
The store’s cafe, previously operated by Brentwood Coffee, closed in April 2025 after Tesco terminated the agreement due to significant rent arrears. The closures impacted Brentwood Cafés at five Tesco stores, including Wexford.
History
Before opening its new store on Distillery Road, Tesco operated from the end of Lowney’s Mall on South Main Street. The company inherited the building from Crazy Prices, a popular Irish supermarket brand that it acquired in May 1997. Associated British Foods owned both Crazy Prices and Quinnsworth up until that point.
In 2002, Tesco representatives met with local councillors and the company began searching for a new site in Wexford. Reports at the time indicated the company was looking for a location that could accommodate a 24,000 sq. ft. supermarket.
In April 2004, traders on South Main Street told local newspapers that they were confident Tesco would maintain a presence at Lowney’s Mall, despite planning submissions for a new site. Local businessman Colman Doyle told the Wexford People newspaper that he believed the company would have two stores in the town.
Reports in September 2005 indicated the new Tesco site would include sixteen residential properties, though this aspect of the proposal did not come to fruition.
Wexford County Council granted the company planning permission for its new supermarket in December 2005.
An objection by Streamline Properties Ltd delayed the project. Streamline had previously attempted to persuade Tesco to move into its new development on Paul Quay. However, Tesco felt the area was unsuitable because it could not facilitate a petrol station, nor would it adhere to the single-storey format. Borough councillors George Lawlor and Padge Reck later criticised the actions of Streamline Properties Ltd.
A second objection came from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), which represented clients who felt threatened by Tesco’s plans to sell petrol at a low price.
The company’s relocation to Distillery Road sparked debate, particularly among local business owners. While the new supermarket promised a boost to the broader local economy, many feared that stripping South Main Street of its main anchor would trigger a decline for the area.
Map
A map showing the location of Tesco on Distillery Road: