The announcement that Gateway is to close with the loss of 900 jobs has shocked people living in north Dublin, many of whose relatives work for the multinational.
Ms Lorraine Malone, an assistant in the Unicare Pharmacy in Coolock, near the Clonshaugh Industrial Estate where Gateway is located, said she felt very shocked. Her brother-in-law worked for the company.
"He has a wife and two children to support. I don't know what they are going to do" she said.
Mr Paul Boyd, also from Clonshaugh, heard about the closure on the evening news. "I thought I was hearing things. I'm shocked and disappointed. Unfortunately, US companies seem to think profit margins are the bottom line," he said.
"It will be a big loss to the area. It has to be one of our biggest employers. Think of the loss of income, especially for those with high mortgages."
Ms Maeve Bellew from Coolock said she felt very sorry for those who worked at Gateway who were now facing dole queues. "They must be devastated," she said. The local pub, Liz Delaney's, was quiet. The assistant manager, Mr Declan Keogh, said the staff at Gateway had come to the pub for Christmas parties and they would be missed.
However, he had noticed business from Gateway staff had slackened off recently.
"They must have felt it was coming and were getting a big cagey about their few pounds," he said.
At the Omni Park Shopping Centre in Santry, late-night shoppers were wondering about a replacement industry and about the back-up service which would now be provided to people who bought Gateway computers.
Mr Francis O'Reilly from Lorcan Avenue in Santry said he bought one of its computers last Christmas and wondered now if it would be guaranteed. He also knew some of the workforce and felt sorry for them.
A middle-aged man from Drumcondra said he believed 80 per cent of the workforce lived in the north Dublin area. "People have to be shocked. Look at the amount of wage packets that will not be coming into the area in six months' time. The big question is when will Mary Harney get a replacement industry for us," he said.
Another woman told of how her husband was going to look for a job at Gateway a few months ago. "I'm very glad now he didn't. The bubble seems to be about to burst," she said.
In the Clonshaugh Industrial Estate grey clouds hung over the Gateway plant, as if in sympathy with the workers. A security man would not permit entry and directed all queries to the public relations firm hired by Gateway.