Ben Dunne
For the later director of Dunnes Stores, see Ben Dunne (entrepreneur).
Ben Dunne (1908–1983) was the founder and chairman of Dunnes Stores.
Early life
Dunne was born in the village of Rostrevor in County Down, Ireland in 1908.
Personal life
Dunne met his wife, Nora Maloney, while working at Roches Stores. They were married for 44 years and had six children.
Career
In 1926, he moved to Drogheda and worked as an apprentice in Cameron's Drapery store. Dunne then moved to Cameron's Drapery shop in Longford, and then onto Roches Stores in Cork in the mid 1930s, where he learned to be a buyer.
In 1944, Dunne founded Dunnes Stores in Cork. In 1970, Dunne was elected to the Board of Directors and selected as the 'Most Outstanding World Retailer'.