Retailer and former Irish senator Feargal Quinn has died at home following a short illness.

Quinn, who was 82, is best known for founding Irish retail chain Superquinn, which pioneered innovations such as loyalty cards, self-scanning and in-store bakeries in the Irish retail sector.

He founded the chain aged just 23 and built it into one of the biggest supermarket businesses in Ireland, selling it for €420m in 2005 to an investor consortium. It was subsequently acquired by rival chain SuperValu.

He later became an independent senator, serving from 1993 to 2016, for the National University of Ireland constituency and was recognised during that period as a strong voice for the Irish business community.

He was a supporter of small business and the retail sector and, until the time of his death, wrote a regular business advice column for the Irish Independent as well as presenting Retail Therapy on Irish public broadcast channel RTÉ One.

Quinn is survived by his wife Denise, their five children and 19 grandchildren.

In a statement, his family said he was first and foremost a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather and brother, in addition to being an ebullient businessman and entrepreneur.

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