WINNIE’S 40 YEARS OF SERVICE
WINNIE O’NEILL started working in the old L&N shop on South Street in 1980 and, throughout the proceeding 40 years, she has served customers with a smile every day.
Winnie worked as a shop assistant in the L&N on South Street, which employed around 70 people at the time, and moved to the present SuperValu location on the Quay in New Ross in October 1980.
At that time, the South Street store was being managed by John Barnes who had been in touch with Winnie’s mother, the late Joan Molloy, to have a jumper hand-knitted. Joan asked Mr Barnes if there were any available positions in the store and he told Joan to send Winnie in for an interview.
The rest, as they say, is history. In her 40 years, Winnie – who hails from Tinneranny and now lives in New Ross with her husband Joe – has seen so many changes, including three different owners and going from the old L&N store to SuperValu in 1996.
She is one of only four of the staff members from the old L&N on South Street to still be working at the supermarket, the others being Tommy Morrissey, Marguerite Bradley and Seamus
Banville.
In 2016, the present owners Colum and Bernie Molloy, who live in The Rower, bought the store and it has gone from the strength to strength since.
Over the years Winnie has served generations of people and as she says herself the children who were in the trolleys are now the ones pushing the trolleys themselves.
Tommy Morrissey from Molloy’s Supervalu said: ‘Winnie has been here for 40 years, from when there was sawdust on the floor of the butcher’s area. It’s a totally different set up now.’
He said Winnie has always been a check-out operator.
‘Winnie is the one all the older people who have been coming in to us for years go to; she knows them so well and she knows them all by name. She is praised by our many customers for always having a smile to greet them and is known for being really kind and helpful to one and all.’
Winnie said she has enjoyed the 40 years with the company and is looking forward to many more happy years among the many friends she has made over the years.
‘We would like to thank Winnie for her long and loyal service to the store over the years It has been a pleasure to work with her, we are fairly sure that the customers would second that,’ Tommy said.