Ben Dunne facts for kids

Bernard Dunne (born May 19, 1908 – died April 14, 1983) was an important Irish businessman. He was the person who started and led the well-known chain of shops called Dunnes Stores.

Early Life of Ben Dunne

Ben Dunne was born as Bernard Dunn in 1908. His birthplace was a village called Rostrevor in County Down, Ireland. He was the oldest son in his family. His father, Barney Dunn, was a businessman. His mother, Margaret, ran a shop that sold fabrics and later a shipping company.

Ben went to St Mary's School in Rostrevor until he was 14. Even while he was still in school, he took on many different jobs. He fixed bicycles, looked after sheep, and worked as a boot-boy. A family friend helped him decide not to move to the United States.

Starting a Business Career

In 1926, Ben Dunne moved to Drogheda. This town was in the new Irish Free State. He began working as an apprentice in shops that sold fabrics. First, he worked at Anderson's and later at Cameron's Drapery store in Longford. It was after he moved to Longford that he added an "e" to his last name, making it Dunne.

In the mid-1930s, he moved to Cork. There, he worked as a buyer for Roches Stores. He bought menswear for the shop. In 1944, Ben Dunne left Roches Stores. He decided to open his own fabric shop with a friend, Des Darrer. Their shop was right across the street from Roches Stores. Ben and Des worked together until 1952. Then, their partnership ended. Des Darrer took over the Dunnes Stores in Waterford and renamed it Darrers.

Growing Dunnes Stores

After the partnership ended, Ben Dunne opened a second Dunnes Stores branch. This new shop was on North Main Street in Cork. More stores soon followed in Waterford and Mallow. By 1955, the tenth Dunnes Stores opened in Wexford. The first store in Dublin opened three years later, in 1958.

In 1960, Dunnes Stores launched its very first own-brand product. It was a ladies' jacket with the label "St Bernard." By 1964, Dunnes Stores also started selling groceries. Their yearly sales reached £6 million, which was a lot of money back then! In 1972, Ben Dunne bought two other large shops in Dublin, Bolger's and Cassidy's. These shops had 11 locations together. Dunnes Stores opened its first branch in Northern Ireland in 1976.

Family and Later Life

Ben Dunne met his wife, Nora Maloney, while they both worked at Roches Stores. They got married in September 1939. Ben and Nora had six children together. Two of their children, Ben and Margaret, later worked in the family business. Ben Dunne passed away on April 14, 1983.