27 November 2025
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Five Co. Cork Gala Retail stores have been named as amongst the best Gala Retail stores in Ireland at the 2025 Gala Retail ‘Delivering the Difference’ annual conference.
Held at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney, two Cork stores also picked up the big awards on the night, with Murphy’s Gala, Kanturk named as the best store for Baker’s Corner in Ireland and Cooney’s Gala, Coachford named as the top store in Ireland for its Customer Service. Camier’s Gala, Ballydehob, was a worthy runner-up in the Community Initiative category.
All three stores were also named as Gala Retail Excellence Award winners, and were joined by Camier’s Gala, Baltimore and M & P O’Sullivan Gala in Ballinahassig, who both achieved Gala Retail Excellence Awards.
Sports broadcaster, Jacqui Hurley, was MC for the Gala celebratory evening event, and speakers Bernard Jackman and Geoff Ramm featured at the morning conference.
The Gala Excellence Awards are presented to Gala stores that are deemed ‘outstanding’ following a comprehensive and independent assessment process. More retailers than ever before achieved the standard, which is reflective of the Group’s focus on quality, community-centric and innovative retailers.
“Gala Retail stores in County Cork consistently feature as some of the best performing stores across the Group,” explains Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala Retail
Mr Desmond adds: “I’m delighted to see our Cork retailers getting the recognition they deserve and would like to thank each of the Gala store owners and their teams for their loyalty, hard work and dedication to quality convenience retailing.
“Our theme at this year’s conference was ‘Delivering the Difference’ and these stores make a difference to their shoppers and communities every day.”
At the Gala Retail conference, it was announced that over €100,000 of Gala Greener Grants have been gifted to retailers by the convenience retail group – part of a €500,000 fund that’s been created to help retailers transition to energy-efficient and sustainable retailing of the future.
As one of the most progressive convenience groups in Ireland, Gala stores benefit from national expertise, coupled with local wholesaler support and a store model, which ensures that every Gala store is designed to deliver to its local community’s requirements
To find out more about Gala Retail, visit www.gala.ie
Ronan Cooney from Cooney’s Gala, Coachford and Colin McTaggart from Gala Retail
Sinead O’Grady from M & P O’Sullivan Gala, Ballinhassig and Colin McTaggart from Gala Retail
Ivan Camier from Camier’s Gala, Ballydehob and Camier’s Gala, Baltimore and Colin McTaggart from Gala Retail