Westmeath families at centre of new Supermac’s campaign

A number of Westmeath farmers and suppliers will be at the centre of a new campaign by Supermac’s this week showcasing the strong connections that the company has with its Irish suppliers and farmers.

Emer Kelly, a dairy farmer from Rahaine; Caitríona McHugh from Raharney; and Enda Burke and his son Eanna, who plays on the Raharney hurling team sponsored by Supermac’s, will feature in Episode 3 of the campaign.

A lot of Supermac’s suppliers have been doing business with the company for more than 40 years so Pat and Una McDonagh decided to visit some of them to see how they were doing.

But there is a twist – Pat and Una decided to bring their grandchildren.

The Supermac’s family road trip tells the story of the closeness of the firm’s relationships with the people who supply it.

It is the story of family businesses the length and breadth of the country, of communities, employment, sponsorship and friendships.

A spokesperson for Supermac’s said: “We are at the heart of Irish communities nationwide and the importance of this connection to communities stems from the fact that many of these businesses started out by supplying us.”

The road trip includes visits to the Westmeath suppliers mentioned above, plus others, such as Tom and Karen Kearney and Denis O’Driscoll of Spice O’ Life in Dunmanway, County Cork, and Andy Mahon of Bandon Vale Cheese.

Pat and Una visit Michael Kelleher, a beef farmer from Kildare, and Johnny Curley of Curley’s Fruit and Veg, and plus Lakeland Dairies, who supply all the Supermac’s ice cream, and Loughnane’s in Galway, who supply pork, as well as Rangeland in Monaghan.

Supermac’s sponsor more than 300 teams and some 50 charities nationwide, along with numerous community initiatives throughout Ireland. They have been proud partners of Trócaire for many years, and have contributed over €500,000 to it.

Episode 1

Pat and Una pack for their road trip. We see the friendship they have, joking together in the car about the day they met. With Pat’s hearty laugh, we hear him say how Una “got a job for life”. The family make their way to Kildare to meet one of their beef producers, Michael Kelleher, and his grandsons at his farm. We also hear from Jim Lucey who has supplied Supermac’s unique burgers for 30 years.

Episode 2

Tom Kearney, founder of Spice O’Life invites Pat, Una and the family to his hometown, Dunmanway, for a BBQ. “Every French fry that Pat sells has a sprinkling of magic from Spice O’Life.” Tom is an important supplier to Supermac’s. Before making their way to the hometown of Sam Maguire, the McDonaghs stop at Red Strand, County Cork, where Jason and the twins have their first experience of being on a beach, before they go to meet Tom and Karen Kearney and Denis O’Driscoll of Spice O’ Life in Dunmanway, and Andy Mahon of Bandon Vale Cheese.

Episode 3

Michael Hanley, CEO of Lakeland Dairies, in Cavan takes the McDonaghs on a tour of the ice cream facility – Una thinks this could be the grandchildren’s “favourite visit of all”. Supermac’s known for having one of the longest running inter-county GAA sponsorships – 30 years with Galway GAA – and this episode highlights Raharney GAA (one of 300 local GAA sponsorships in the country) where viewers meet some young, budding talent in Eanna Burke, who is also a dairy farmer for Lakeland Dairies.

Episode 4

In the final episode, Pat, Una and grandchildren travel to Curley’s Quality Foods in Galway to see their long-time supplier and friend, John Curley, and his family of budding musicians and singers. “Johnny’s not just a great business person, but he’s a great personality,” says Pat, not long before John invites him to go for a spin on his vintage tractor.

With John’s daughter, Angela, singing the final track of this episode so elegantly, we hear Johnny pay an earnest tribute to Supermac’s. Before the McDonaghs make their way home after their trip, they make a final stop at Loughnane’s Butchers, Loughrea, to buy meat for their homecoming meal.

Loughnane’s have been supplying Supermac’s with sausages since Pat and Una opened their Supermac’s outlet on Bridge Street in Galway in 1978, and Una has been shopping there for 30 years.