Ann Dunne, daughter of Dunnes Stores founder, dies

RIP

She died on 17 October, according to a notice published on RIP.ie, which said she was with family and friends in her final hours. 

Her funeral was held privately, and the family has thanked those who supported and cared for her in recent years.

Ann's death means Margaret Heffernan, 84, is now the only surviving child of Bernard and Nora Dunne. 

She has led Dunnes Stores as chief executive since the early 1990s, after her brother Ben left the business. Ben died in November 2019, aged 74.

The family has faced two bereavements in less than a year. Heffernan's husband, Andrew, who worked as a consultant endocrinologist at Blackrock Clinic, also died during that period.

Heffernan remains one of three directors of the retail group. The other two are her daughter, Anne Heffernan, and her niece, Sharon McMahon.

Since 2018, Dunnes Stores has operated through a company called Better Value Unlimited Company. 

Its structure allows the retailer to keep its turnover and profit figures private, meaning those financial details do not have to be published.