Double Retail Triumph: Breen’s MACE on Hale Street Captures Top National Excellence Accolade and Off-Licence of the Year Crown
One of our town’s most popular and heavily frequented local convenience hubs is celebrating a historic national achievement this week, proving that standard-setting retail care thrives right on our doorstep.
A phenomenal victory for independent local business. Thoroughly well-deserved.
The hard-working team at Breen’s MACE on Hale Street has officially taken center stage at this year’s highly competitive MACE Excellence Awards. Shortlisted and recognized among the absolute elite grocery and convenience outlets across Ireland, the Ardee store was formally presented with the prestigious MACE Excellence Award, highlighting an exceptional commitment to daily store standards, product quality, and outstanding friendly customer service.
But the local success tracking didn’t stop there.
To the absolute delight of the local community, Breen’s MACE went on to claim one of the primary national titles of the entire gala event, being officially crowned the **National MACE Off Licence Store of the Year**. The glittering awards ceremony, proudly hosted by parent brand BWG Foods, took place at Lawlor’s Hotel and brought together independent retailers from every corner of the state to honor the very best in modern convenience commerce.
📋 Surviving the Rigorous Year-Long Audit Grid
Securing a MACE Excellence title requires surviving one of the most demanding, unannounced testing programs in the entire Irish retail market:
- 🔍 Strict Hidden Audits: The accolade is reserved solely for local store teams that successfully complete a grueling year-long inspection schedule without warning.
- 🛡️ Dual Safety Checking: The process mandates passing two independent unannounced assessments: a comprehensive criteria audit by Solution Management Associates (SMA), alongside a strict BWG Foods safety review executed in close partnership with international assurance giant LRQA.
- 💡 Driving Local Community Value: The award tracks daily front-of-house execution, pristine layout tracking, and consistent customer care—ensuring the Hale Street shop remains a premier local asset.
Setting High Market Standards Despite Business Pressures
Praising a dedicated frontline community team.
Congratulating the Ardee winners from the podium, Keith Crawford, MACE Sales Director, poured immense praise onto the tireless dedication shown by local store owners and floor staff alike. He noted that as Ireland’s longest-serving convenience symbol brand, MACE retailers share a deep and enduring bond with their local community areas, constantly pushing the envelope in terms of presentation and daily reliability.
The achievement stands tall against a tough economic backdrop.
Crawford highlighted that this year’s winners continue to set the absolute highest performance benchmarks for the wider convenience sector, particularly while navigating a highly challenging commercial landscape marked by rising operational costs and economic uncertainties. He extended warm congratulations to John Breen and his crew, specifically praising the team in Breen’s MACE Hale Street for capturing the Off Licence Store of the Year title and emphasizing the vital, standard-setting role they execute for families across Mid-Louth.
🏡 Hale Street Growth Continues to Fly
The national award for the MACE team rounds off an incredible stretch of brilliant development updates for the local area! Hale Street is currently the focus of massive structural tracking, following the recent news that Louth County Council has formally granted planning permission to complete the Moorhall Rise estate on Hale Street, bringing 17 brand-new family homes to the immediate neighborhood.
An Unbelievable, Record-Shattering Summer for Ardee
The brilliant national double victory by Breen’s MACE fits perfectly into what can only be described as the most extraordinary, record-shattering epoch of pure joy right across our townlands lately. It is a spectacular era to be from Mid-Louth—headlined by the jaw-dropping reality that **an overnight millionaire was created in town after Malone’s Londis sold a €1 million winning Lotto ticket**, just as local soccer star **Kian Leavy made his senior international debut for the Republic of Ireland against Canada in Montreal**.
Every single corner of our community is hitting peak form simultaneously. On the sports fields, our **Louth Senior Footballers shattered a 53-year hoodoo to stun Dublin 4-18 to 1-24 at Croke Park** under manager Gavin Devlin, earning a **blockbuster All-Ireland SFC Round 2A draw against Armagh at Inniskeen on Sunday, 14 June**, while our **Louth Minor Footballers have just stormed into the All-Ireland Paul McGirr Cup final** after beating Monaghan at Cullyhanna, and **Ardee Community School LGFA won back-to-back Sonia Hoey Cups at DkIT**.
The local success tracker simply refuses to slow down. Local golfer **Stuart Grehan won the East of Ireland Amateur Open with a record score down in Baltray**, **Independent Jim Tenanty was elected Cathaoirleach of Ardee**, **Marks Pharmacy has been nominated for national Independent Pharmacy of the Year**, and **local heroes Tom Muldoon and Dean Enright pulled off a dramatic life-saving rescue from the River Dee outside the Brian Muldoon & Sons pub**. Seeing our local grocery teams matching that exact same standard of national elite excellence ensures our unbeatable parish spirit remains second to none.
