225 jobs lost as book retailer goes into receivership

ONE of the country’s largest bookshop chains, Hughes and Hughes, has gone into receivership, with the loss of 225 jobs.

Hughes and Hughes, which has been operating in Ireland for 26 years, blamed the move on collapsing consumer demand.

Commenting last night the group’s management said in a statement that until the downturn “our business had continued to grow”. But a series of factors in a short time frame and largely outside the group’s control “has ultimately led to receivership as being the only appropriate action left to the company”.