Oisín Gartlan was both surprised and delighted to be named ‘SuperStore Manager of the Year’ at the National Grocery Management Awards 2026 for ensuring Tesco Ireland’s new Howth store in Co. Dublin got off to a successful start.
Boasting a wealth of experience in retail management, Oisín was singled out for the brilliant job he did in delivering a fantastic shopping experience for customers and for making a real impact in the local community through Tesco’s much-loved Community Fund, which supports thousands of local projects across the country.
Attended by almost 320 guests at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire on Wednesday, May 13 last, the National Grocery Management Awards is Ireland’s premier scheme for recognising and honouring individual management excellence. To win one is a high point in the career of many of Ireland’s best performing managers from across a variety of categories and at various levels of career progression. The event is also the principal event for managers from across all wholesale brands to gather with colleagues, business partners, suppliers and friends.
“I wasn’t expecting to win,” Oisín admits.
“My wife Carol, who was at the awards ceremony with me, jokingly asked if I had anything prepared when the other recipients were making their speeches and I told her I hadn’t. So it was a lovely, pleasant surprise to get.”
As a former GAA player and now coach, Oisín cannot stress enough the importance of teamwork.
“My management style at work is very sports-orientated,” explains the affable Monaghan man, who is now overseeing the opening of another new Tesco store in Tyrrelstown, Dublin 15.
“Everything revolves around the team and not the individual. It’s uncanny how similar they are. This was a collective effort involving all of the team. I was fortunate to be surrounded by some amazing people in Howth, including Siobhan Byrne, Stephen Kirwan, Joe Collins and Martina Broderick. I previously worked with Joe in the West Street store in Drogheda, while Martina was in the Clarehall store in Donaghmede for 25 years. So the experience there is huge.
“Tesco’s ethos is about looking after the customer, community and planet. Our goal is to give the best customer service to the people of Howth and you can only do that with a happy, hard-working team where everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet. It’s the same thing in the GAA or any other sport.”
Tesco’s brand-new superstore in Howth opened on December 2, 2025 with the creation of 80 new jobs. Situated close to Howth Dart Station, it offers customers a modern retail experience and a wide selection of quality fresh local and Irish produce.
Dublin suppliers Manning’s Bakery, Keoghs crisps and Oishii Foods are just some of the great local producers found on the shelves in Tesco Howth. The 10,000 sq. ft store has also been fitted with several energy-saving measures such as doors on fridges, which will help reduce energy consumption.
“This is a big moment for me and the new team that’s come together to serve our customers here in Howth. We’re excited to welcome everyone to our fabulous new store and cannot wait to actively get to know, and become part of, the local community,” Oisín said at the official opening.
Fast-forward six months and Tesco Howth has already made its mark.
“The wheels have been set in motion and the store has quickly become part of the fabric of Howth, which is a beautiful part of Dublin. It’s perfect for the weekly shop with a huge range of fresh produce. It anchors a newly-built complex with an underground carpark, a creche and other retail units. There are also 500 apartments being built around it which will only see an increase in footfall over the next few years.”
Tesco is a proud supporter of the communities it serves. In its first Community Fund campaign, the Tesco Howth store is supporting the locality with donations to three community groups, including Howth RNLI, Scoil Mhuire Primary School, and Suttonians Rugby Club.
Through the Tesco Surplus Food Redistribution programme, FoodCloud partners and OLIO Food Waste Heroes are on hand to ensure no good food goes to waste from the store. The Howth team has also joined Tesco’s continued efforts to support its charity partner, Children’s Health Foundation which supports all sick children in CHI at Crumlin, Connolly, Temple Street and Tallaght Hospitals.
Oisín is well-known for his charity work and community engagement, and is proud to chair the Tesco Disability Network. The network aims to provide colleagues with the platform and a voice to make real change and show that everyone is welcome at Tesco.
“I like to be involved in the community and that is something I’ve done everywhere I’ve worked,” says the much-travelled Carrickmacross native, who has been living in Drogheda for over 20 years.
“I help to organise an annual charity swim through my adopted GAA club St Colmcille’s in Bettystown on St Stephen’s Day. From having 19 or 20 participants the first year, we now have up to 400. I pushed the Tesco Community Fund hard while I was in West Street in Drogheda.”
Oisín recalls one of the most memorable and proud moments of his career was employing colleague Mark Reilly.
“Having a diverse colleague like Mark on the team also had a hugely positive impact on the team which was unexpected and rewarding. Any day that Mark is rostered into work is a happier day.”
Oisín has been involved in retail since selling fresh strawberries on the Ardee Road out of Carrickmacross as a schoolkid.
“It’s in the DNA,” he smiles.
“My mother had a clothes shop and I followed in her footsteps by opening my own clothes shops called Ethos in Carrickmacross and Dundalk. But when the opportunity came to join Tesco, I jumped at it.
The award-winning store manager added: “I joined in 2005 as a clothing manager in Clare Hall. I then spent three years as a clothing area manager before becoming non-food manager of Tesco Extra in Drogheda. That was followed by my first stint as a store manager in Tesco Express, Ratoath. I then managed the Tesco Express stores in Glasnevin, Swords and Malahide before getting promoted to the manager’s role at West Street in Drogheda, which is a small SuperStore, in 2020.
“I loved my time there and my son Caolán now works there part-time. But when the call came in October 2025 to open Howth, I couldn’t turn it down and found myself on the move again.”
Oisín concludes by thanking his colleagues, customers and suppliers for all their support. He is also grateful to his wife Carol and children Caolán (17), Rían (15) and Muireann (eight) as well as his parents Kevin and Maire for their support and understanding.
First published in Grocery & Retail Ireland magazine Vol 5 No 3, Autumn 2026
featured, Oisín Gartlan, Tesco
