Tic Toc protest bride makes it to the church on time after sit-in

Getting to the church on time for her wedding yesterday was unusually complicated for Rachel Quinlivan.

Childcare worker, Rachel, was locked in a dispute with 16 other colleagues who worked at the Tic Toc Creche in Westbury, Limerick, over the manner in which the facility was suddenly closed more than a week ago.

They staged a round-the-clock sit over the past 11 days as talks went on regarding holiday money, redundancy and other payments.

Parents of the 65 children who attended the creche brought in food and joined in the protest in solidarity with the childcare workers.

Rachel said: “I did not get my money until yesterday. I didn’t know if I’d have to cancel the wedding and tell the 120 guests it could not go ahead because of the sit-in we were staging at the creche.”

After talks involving senator Kieran O’Donnell and Frank McDonnell of Siptu, the issues regarding outstanding money due to the creche workers was resolved.

Rachel said: “My fiance, Larry O’Shaughnessy from Shanagolden, Co Limerick, and I had put a huge amount of planning into our big day.

“I headed down to west Clare on Monday night as soon as all the problems we had to deal with the owners of the creche were sorted out. I am so relieved.

“Mary Hackett and her sister Karen Ryan of Shades of Beauty in Thomas Street, Limerick, came down this morning to the Armada to give me and bridesmaids our hair dos.”

The owners of Tic Toc said after a review of future income, and while child numbers were on the rise, projected income was not enough to make the creche viable.