One of Dublin's oldest clothing firms, J.A. Hickey, is to close with the loss of 170 jobs in Inchicore and in Athy, Co Kildare.
In a statement on the voluntary liquidation of the firm, managing director, Mr John Hickey, said the company had "reluctantly concluded that trading conditions will only disimprove".
"For some time, the company has found it increasingly difficult to compete with manufacturers in south-east Asia, north Africa and the Baltic states," said Mr Hickey.
A company spokesman said discussions since spring with Enterprise Ireland had centred on securing introductions to British multiples. These had failed, he said.
SIPTU's private sector regional secretary for Dublin, Mr Jack Nash, said the company was likely to close next Friday. "It's a very major blow in terms of loss of jobs. This has come as a complete and absolute shock to people."
Founded in 1965, J.A. Hickey traded at Green Street in central Dublin until it moved to Inchicore in 1986. Some 40 workers at the company's plant in Athy were laid off at the end of April.
The company originally produced chidren's clothing and had also produced sports wear. More recently, it had moved into women's clothing.
About 80 per cent of the staff, mostly women, work on the factory floor while the remainder are employed in administration. The workers would have had a mixture of long and short service.
A spokesman for Enterprise Ireland said the experience of J.A. Hickey was indicative of a trend in the clothing industry in general.
The demise of J.A. Hickey is the latest in a series of closures, which has seen more than 1,000 clothing workers in the State, mostly in Co Donegal, lose their jobs since the beginning of the year.
Citing "unprecedented challenges", the Irish Clothing Manufacturers Federation said the sector "accepts that the traditional focus on manufacturing activities is no longer the key to success".
Mr Nash of SIPTU said: "The clothing industry is under severe pressure from foreign markets at the moment. In terms of quality we're as good as there is in the world, but it's not because of quality or productivity that we're losing business.
"You're talking about a booming economy but that's in pharmacy, chemicals, IT and financial services. The rest of the Irish economy is coming up against extreme pressure."
Last week, US multinational Fruit of the Loom said it was putting its remaining 1,900 workers in Donegal and Derry on a three-day working week. Early this year, 770 workers lost their jobs when Fruit of the Loom closed its plants in Buncrana, Milford and Raphoe in Co Donegal.
