SIPTU mourn "devastating blow" for Athy

The closure of a bathmat company in Athy with the loss of 65 jobs has been described as a "devastating blow" by SIPTU.

The Tánaiste Mary Harney has been called on by the union to give priority to the town in terms of future job creation initiatives.

Union bosses have pointed out that the majority of the workers losing their jobs with the closure of Peerless Rugs have been with the company for over two decades.

Management said the company could no longer compete with firms based in countries with low labour costs and low overheads.