New Lidl store in Carndonagh to open next week

The new store is the retailer’s store ninth in the county and is creating 30 new jobs for the local area.

Local ladies’ Gaelic football star and Donegal Captain Roisin Rodgers will have the honour of cutting the ribbon on the morning and welcome shoppers into the new store to enjoy a premier shopping experience.

Representing an investment of €7 million into the community, the new Lidl Carndonagh store is located on Station Road (R238), near the town centre.

The new 2,209 square metre store will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including a spacious shop floor with wide aisles, long tills, an off licence, and Lidl’s much loved in-store bakery offering fresh baked goods daily.

The store will also incorporate a range of sustainability features including an ISO 50001 certified Energy Management System, electric vehicle charger spaces and a solar panel system.

Advancing Lidl Ireland’s community-focused objectives under its 'A Better Tomorrow' corporate social responsibility programme, and to mark the opening, the staff at Lidl’s Carndonagh store will donate €1,000 in Lidl vouchers to Friends of James Connolly Community Hospital on the morning of the store opening.

The first ten shoppers to enter the brand-new store will receive complementary Lidl gift vouchers to put towards their in-store shop. With the doors due to open at 8am sharp on Thursday, April 17, early bird shoppers can also get their chance to meet and greet LGFA star and Roisin Rodgers and enjoy special instore entertainment.

Continuing the retailer’s ambitious expansion plans, the brand-new store will be the retailer’s 185th store in Ireland and 228th store within the island of Ireland.

Planning permission for the development was granted in November 2023 following an appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

Lidl opened its first Donegal store in Letterkenny in 2000 and currently employs more than 160 people across eight stores in Dungloe, Millford, Ballybofey, Letterkenny, Donegal Town, Bundoran, and Buncrana. Last year, Lidl procured over €40 million worth of goods and services from 25 suppliers and business partners across Donegal.

Ahead of the store opening, Tom McAuliffe, Lidl Ireland Regional Managing Director said:

"On behalf of Lidl Ireland, I am delighted to announce the grand opening of our brand-new Lidl Carndonagh store on Thursday, April 17. This event marks a significant milestone for our dedicated property and construction team who have worked tirelessly to bring this project to life over the past few years. We are immensely grateful to the local community for their patience and strong support throughout this journey.

“Join us for a morning of celebrations as we open our doors next week, welcoming everyone to experience our new store with fantastic opening offers and unbeatable value.

"This year, Lidl Ireland celebrates its 25th anniversary, and we are thrilled to add to the occasion by opening our ninth store in Donegal. Our committed store team is working diligently behind the scenes to ensure everything is ready, bringing convenience, quality, and market-leading value to shoppers in Carndonagh."

Ahead of the opening, LGFA star and Donegal Captain Roisin Rodgers said:

“Through its longstanding partnership with LGFA, Lidl has been hugely supportive of its communities and it’s great to see them further investing in the Donegal area by bringing a state-of-the-art store to Carndonagh, creating employment for local people. I’m excited to cut the ribbon on the morning of the store opening and officially welcome everyone to the new store. I’d encourage everyone to come down and visit on Thursday 17th April – and be first in the queue to grab those middle aisle offers while you can!”

Lidl’s key Donegal suppliers include Ballybofey-based Mulrines – a premium juice and smoothie business that has been working with Lidl since 2009. In recent years, Mulrines have grown their €20 million contract with Lidl to significantly increase supply to Great Britain.

Lidl Ireland was recently named a ‘Top Employer’ by the Top Employers Institute for the fifth year running. The retailer was also named Most Reputable Retailer and 2nd Most Reputable Company in the 2024 RepTrak Ireland study, and was named Most Sustainable Retailer in Ireland, ranking #3 in the RepTrak® Sustainability Index for 2024.

Lidl’s Carndonagh store will open daily: Monday – Saturday 8:00am – 10:00pm, and Sunday 9:00am – 9:00pm from Thursday, April 17.

Lidl Ireland currently employs more than 6,000 employees in its 184 stores, Head Office in Tallaght and three distribution centres and regional offices based in Charleville, Mullingar, and Newbridge.

For further information, the latest instore offers and career opportunities please visit www.lidl.ie