THE PRESIDENT of New Ross & District Chamber has told The Echo that the sudden nature with which local factory, Irish Driver Harris, closed last week sent shock waves throughout the organisation.
Speaking to this newspaper about the matter Mary Browne said the business community in the town was “shocked to hear that one of the oldest, if not the oldest, businesses in the town was closing”.
Within a short while of the announcement being made last Tuesday Ms. Browne contacted Min. Paul Kehoe about the matter.
“I contacted him because he is our closest local representative and he confirmed to me that he was in touch with Minister Richard Bruton about the matter and they are looking at seeing if the plant could be taken over as a going concern,” she said.
With regard to the overall affect of the closure Ms. Browne said it will have an impact on the whole community in New Ross.
“It will affect businesses in the town,” she said.
“Forty to 70 families will be affected directly by this and for all of them it means that a wage coming into the home is now gone and for some it will mean that the only wage coming in is gone so that will have to have an impact,” she added.
She said the Chamber will be going ‘all out’ to try and help promote and support local businesses that are in the town with the aim of keeping them open.
“Maybe in the future they might be able to generate some work for local people but it’s important that the businesses we have here remain open,” she said.
“It’s sad for the generations of families that worked there,” she added.
Irish Driver Harris has been intrinsically linked with New Ross for decades and was originally located in John Street close to where Docks Hotel is now.
Ms. Browne said she remembers when it was located there and highlighted the fact the company has a long association with New Ross.
“A lot of people remember it being down in the heart of the town and they also remember the move out to Rosbercon when it expanded,” she said.
“It really is a sad day for New Ross to see is closed.”
