Heneghan’s SuperValu in Glenamaddy, Co. Galway was proud and delighted to win the coveted Best Small SuperValu Store Award for 2026 at the SuperValu National Conference, which took place at The Great Southern Hotel, Killarney in February.
The success coincided with Heneghan’s celebrating 21 years as a SuperValu store and came after it was shortlisted alongside other finalist stores from across the country. In what was a fiercely contested category, Heneghan’s SuperValu was hailed for its “unwavering high standards, robust food leadership and firmly established ties to the local community”.
The accolade acknowledges the exceptional performance delivered by the team at Heneghan’s SuperValu across crucial areas such as fresh food excellence, quality and food leadership, people management and community engagement.
The store received particular praise for providing a first-rate shopping experience whilst maintaining a strong emphasis on local employment, customer relationships and backing for local suppliers and community initiatives.
Martina Gibbons, who along with her husband Tony and son Michael are proud owners of Heneghan’s SuperValu, dedicated the award to their committed team and the continued backing of the 10,000 sq. ft. shop’s valued customers.
“We are incredibly proud to be named Best Small SuperValu Store for 2026,” she says.
“This award means so much to our entire team who bring energy, commitment and pride to their roles every single day. If you do the ordinary things extraordinarily well, you will make the difference and our team always makes the difference. We are extremely fortunate to have employees of that calibre and a strong management team made up of Karen Ryder (store manager), Sharon Gallagher (assistant manager) and John Heneghan (fresh food manager).
“Our team is our greatest asset with fifteen of our full-time staff averaging 22 years of service. Their loyalty, experience and commitment to customer care have been the backbone of our success story. We employ eighty people between full-time and part-time.
“As a locally owned and operated- store, we place huge importance on building genuine relationships with our customers and being an active part of the Glenamaddy community.”
Martina adds: “When we were announced as the winner, I almost exploded with pride and excitement. The energy on the shopfloor and the feedback we have received since then has been hugely positive. It is lovely to have customers come up to you and say, ‘You deserve it’.
“The win is also a big deal for Glenamaddy which is a small town in north-east Galway. If it weren’t for Big Tom, who sang ‘Four Roads to Glenamaddy’, a lot of people would never have heard of us! It is nice to be able to put Glenamaddy back on the map again.
“With Glenamaddy having a population of only about five hundred, we rely heavily on the support and goodwill of people from the surrounding area. There is a lot to be said for the rural community and how they support each other. We are part of people’s lives and events through the services we provide. That relationship and rapport is very strong. It goes far beyond the checkout.”
The accolade also comes after Heneghan’s SuperValu unveiled a new-look, state-of-the-art store last year. As part of the revamp, the third-generation business focused on developing its fresh areas, deli, meat and bakery departments. Small, strategic changes to the off-licence increased space for the chilled beer and wine sections, while there was a renewed focus on the SuperValu Signature wine range.
“We had a clear ambition to grow our impulse offering. Working closely with Leona from Store Development, we created a convenient ‘Grab & Go’ express offering that compliments the SuperValu model,” Martina explains.
“The revamp has also allowed us to expand our fresh food offering. We are noted for this and are known the length and breadth of Galway for our freshly prepared sandwiches. Our meat counter is also very strong. In addition, we incorporated a number of sustainability upgrades to enhance the efficiency of the store.”
Supporting local is of key importance to the team at Heneghan’s where customers can purchase a wide range of products from local producers. Not only that, the store also gives back to the community by supporting many local charities, community groups, local schools and sporting teams.
“There are twenty-three community organisations in and around Glenamaddy, and we’re proud to support each and every one of them. We have donated over €30,000 to local groups in the past year, including €24,000 to Down Syndrome Ireland following an event we hosted with cookbook author Sarah Butler in the Glenamaddy Community Centre last November. It was very successful, with over five hundred people attending.
“We are firm believers in the famous quote, ‘if you build it, they will come’. We have continued to build and develop our business in serving the local community across three generations. Through ongoing investment and commitment to value and service, our business has evolved to meet the changing needs of our customers, while remaining true to the values on which it was founded,” the affable store owner adds.
Heneghan’s SuperValu originated from a small grocery shop that was opened by Martina’s parents Michael and Tina Heneghan in their newly built home in 1952. The seed was sown and matured into what we see today. In 1979, Tina was approached about developing the business by Jim Coyne of SPAR, so the garage which housed Michael’s car was duly converted and extended.
In 1995, Martina and her husband Tony expanded the operation further after part of the site where the shop is now located was donated by Tina to continue the tradition of serving the local community. A brand-new store was opened in 2004 to coincide with Heneghan’s becoming part of the SuperValu family.
“Twenty-one years on and our business has grown and is firmly rooted in our community. Its success is a testimony to our wonderful team who always put the customer first. We are proud to be part of the Glenamaddy community for over 70 years and are looking forward to sharing many more memories with our customers in the future.”
The award-winning store’s opening hours are 8am to 10pm Monday-Saturday and 8am to 8.30pm on Sundays.
Heneghan’s SuperValu
Kilkerrin Road,
Glenamaddy,
Co. Galway,
F45 CT80.
Telephone: 094 965 9645
First published in Grocery & Retail Ireland magazine Vol 5 No 2, Summer 2026
featured, Heneghan’s SuperValu
