Clerys staff protest outside closed store

Workers who were let go from Clerys yesterday are staging a protest outside the department store on O'Connell Street in Dublin.

More than 400 workers were told the store was closing and going into liquidation yesterday.

SIPTU members of Clerys said the news that the shop is closing came as a huge shock and surprise marched from Liberty Hall to the store on O'Connell street, where they are currently staging a protest.

Protest outside #Clerys pic.twitter.com/DL8lA9qPXx

— Steve Neville (@SteveNeville_) June 13, 2015

Suzie Gaynor McGowan said she found out on social media that the shop was closing and that she had been let go.

"I heard it on Facebook," she said today. "I was travelling back from the country and was on Facebook - and saw Clery's had closed."

Staff were told that the company's new owners have put the store into liquidation, amid multi million Euro losses.

Employees are also said to be unsure whether they will receive wages owed or redundancy payments.

"It's such a legend on O'Connell Street," said one pedestrian near the store . "I think it's terrible, said another, "I've just come up from the country and I didn't realise … this would normally be my first stop."