Ben Dunne, an Irish supermarket heir who survived an IRA kidnapping and a scandal, dies at 74

Published November 19, 2023 11:16 AM

LONDON (AP) — An Irish businessman who survived a kidnapping by the IRA and triggered a scandal that shook Ireland’s politics has died. Supermarket tycoon Ben Dunne was 74. His son Robert confirmed his death to the news website Extra.ie. Irish media reported the the elder Dunne died Saturday of a heart attack during a trip to Dubai. He was a former director of family-owned supermarket chain Dunnes Stores and founder of the Ben Dunne Gyms fitness centers. In 1981, masked gunmen from the Irish Republican Army kidnapped Dunne as he was on his way to open a store. He was released a week later. Revelations in 1996 about his payments to politicians caused a huge scandal.

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