H Williams (supermarket)

H Williams was a supermarket chain in Ireland founded as a grocer in the late 19th century.[1] In 1959 it opened the first supermarket in Ireland, in Dublin's Henry Street.[1] Though publicly listed on the Dublin Stock Exchange for many years, the Quinn-McArdle family controlled its board and provided most of its senior management.[2] In the early 1980s it was sold to a its managing director, John Quinn, and property developer Finbarr Holland.[3][1] H Williams collapsed in 1987, following a price war that led to the 1987 amendment to the Groceries Order in an effort to protect the market from further concentration.[4] The former H Williams supermarkets were sold to other supermarket chains.

H Williams' head office was situated in Dundrum, Dublin, also the site of Pye electric goods at one time, now close to the present town centre. There was also a store located there and said Rolls-Royce's, much more iconic then than now could be observed frequently.

Other stores included ones located in Rathmines, Terenure, Tallaght (now a Lidl) and Killester as well as one in Mullingar[5] -- the Fairgreen Shopping Centre is located on its site.