Sad farewell to ‘Rolls Royce of bacon’

FOR 28 years Monica O’Brien worked with the Galtee Meats plant in Mitchelstown, first as an office employee and in recent times as a pig supplier with husband Rory O’Brien.

Yesterday brought the departure of the last few dozen employees of the once-landmark bacon factory, represented a heartbreaking day for such locals, brimful of memories of the old co-operative days, when upwards of a thousand were employed by the Dairygold business.

“It’s a disgrace what’s happening now,” said Monica O’Brien yesterday. “This was a huge part of the community and it’s devastating to see it closing down.”