Woe for sports retailer staff but joy for actors

There was mixed news on the jobs front yesterday with the announcement that 101 staff are to be made redundant with the closure of sports retailer JJB Sports while another 140 filling station jobs are in peril nationwide.

However, 1,000 temporary actors are being sought by a TV production company.

JJB will close four shops and two leisure centres in Ireland after failing to find a buyer.

Liquidator Kieran Wallace, of KPMG, had been looking for a purchaser since his appointment on Oct 1.

“Regretfully, none has emerged from this process, which has resulted in its closure this evening,” KMPG said.

All 101 employees, most who work part-time, were told the bleak news yesterday while gym members will be informed that membership cannot be fulfilled.

Retail Excellence Ireland claimed a buyer had been willing to take over the business, but was only given four days by the liquidator to try to get estate agents and landlords to lower hefty rents.

Meanwhile, an interim examiner has been appointed to a company operating a chain of fuel stations employing 140.

Tougher’s Oil Distributors Ltd, with registered offices in Naas, Co Kildare, ran into difficulties as a consequence of using its surplus cash to make several property investments during the boom, Bernard Dunleavy BL, for the company, said. A lot of those properties had since gone into Nama, he added.

Elsewhere, 1,000 budding actors are being sought to take part in a major TV series being filmed in Ireland next month.

Producers of a new TV series Quirke, to be filmed mostly in Dublin over the next five months, are seeking extras to attend an open casting day at The Mont Clare (O’Callaghan’s) Hotel, on Merrion St Lower in Dublin next Tuesday.

Irish actor Gabriel Byrne is set to star in the three-part series of BBC crime thrillers based on novels by Booker Prize winner John Banville.

Meanwhile, retailer Kilkenny Group is to create 60 jobs.

The positions in sales, retail, and administration will be based at its outlets around the country as well as its online store.

Recruitment is expected to be completed by the end of next year, increasing staff numbers at the family-run business to 265.