Inistioge in Kilkenny is one of the jewels of Ireland’s tourism industry.

The shameful treatment of loyal workers at Clerys was a chilling throwback to the days when workers had little or no rights and were at the mercy of ruthless money-grabbing bosses for whom profit trumped all considerations of fairness, justice, and common human decency.

In defending water charges, a Fine Gael politician in Kilkenny declared last month: Water cannot be free.