Six Gala stores from Mayo receive Excellence Awards

Six stores in Mayo have been named among the best Gala Retail stores in Ireland after receiving Excellence Awards at the Gala group’s 2026 annual conference.

Held at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney, the annual Gala Retail conference brought together retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and partners from across Ireland to celebrate another successful year for the group and look ahead to Gala’s plans for continued growth in 2027.

The County Mayo stores recognised with Gala Excellence Awards were Murphy's Gala, Ballyhaunis; Mulhern's Gala, Crossmolina; Tuffy's Gala, Ballina; Tuffy's Gala, Louisburgh; McGloin's Gala, Foxford; and Nicholson's Gala, Keel.

A number of Mayo retailers also received further recognition on the night, with Nicholson's Gala, Keel named a finalist in the Baker's Corner category; Tuffy's Gala, Louisburgh a finalist in the Chilled Retailer category; McGloin's Gala, Foxford a finalist in the Off-Licence category; and Tuffy's Gala, Ballina a finalist in the Fresh Food category.

The Gala Excellence Awards are presented to stores that are deemed ‘outstanding’ following a comprehensive and independent assessment process, recognising retailers that demonstrate consistently high standards across their stores and deliver excellence in convenience retailing.

The 2026 Gala Retail conference featured a supplier trade show and a morning session with speakers Paul McNeive and Ken Hughes. The celebrations continued into the evening with Gala’s awards event, hosted by sports broadcaster Jacqui Hurley and featuring Anthony Daly and Niall Quinn.