The king of Ireland’s supermarkets Ben Dunne has died.
The colourful business tycoon, who was 74, died in Dubai.
Born in Cork, he started out working for the Dunnes Stores family business founded by his father, also named Ben.
In 1981 he was kidnapped and held for a week by the IRA, until a £1m ransom was paid.
His leadership of Dunnes Stores ended after the scandal in which he was arrested for cocaine possession in the company of an escort while on a golf holiday in Florida in 1992.
His sister Margaret Heffernan then took the helm at the firm.
Mr Dunne went on to rebuild his reputation and founded the successful Ben Dunne chain of gyms.
