H Williams (supermarket)

H Williams was a supermarket chain in Ireland which originated as a grocer/tea importer that became a registered company in March 1894 with a listing on the Dublin Stock Exchange.

In 1959 it opened the first supermarket in Ireland, in Dublin's Henry Street. Though publicly listed on the Dublin Stock Exchange for many years, the Quinn-McArdle family controlled its board and provided most of its senior management. In the early 1980s it was sold to a its managing director, John Quinn, and property developer Finbarr Holland. In 1986 Tesco sold their Irish operation to H Williams for £17 million.

H Williams collapsed in 1987, following a price war that led to the 1987 amendment to the Groceries Order in an effort to protect the market from further concentration. The former H Williams supermarkets were sold to other supermarket chains. H Williams' head office was situated in Dundrum, Dublin.

Other Dublin stores included ones located in Rathmines, Terenure, Tallaght (now a Lidl) and Killester. Outside Dublin, there was a store in Mullingar – the present-day Fairgreen Shopping Centre is located on its former site as well as a store in Tullamore which was purchased by and still operates as a Dunnes Stores.