Victoria Olfofosho travels from Athlone to Galway every day to work at Abbott Ireland, and has been doing so for the past 18 months. After yesterday's announcement that the plant is to close with the loss of 500 jobs, she doesn't expect to be making that journey for much longer.
"We were just told yesterday that there would be a meeting today, but nobody knew what the meeting would be about," she said outside the company's office, shortly after the entire staff emerged from a briefing by Damien Halloran, vice-president of vascular operations.
Originally from Nigeria, Olfofosho says she had been very happy in the company. "They have been very good to work for." She was one of the very few employees who were willing to talk to waiting journalists, with many emerging white-faced, tear-stained, tense and angry.
One man walked over to a TV camera and then knocked it out of the way. Mayor of Galway Tom Costello (Lab), who had arrived shortly before, wearing his chain of office, was critical that the news had emerged before staff had been informed.
"One chap was having a lie-in this morning as he wasn't due in till a later shift, and he heard about it on local radio. That's very tough," the mayor said. The loss of so many jobs didn't augur well for Galway, and he hoped it wasn't a "signal". Last month, the city's largest multinational employer, Boston Scientific, had announced it was to shed 100 research and development staff.
"I wonder are we getting this news before or after California," one young woman remarked as she emerged with several colleagues and lit a cigarette.
At the briefing, the Galway employees had been told that 750 colleagues at one of Abbott's two plants in California were also being made redundant. "We'll all be having the same lousy Christmas as Temecula then," she said, before walking away.
Another employee, who has been with the Abbots for three years, and had previously been made redundant by another Galway-based company, said the "signs were there from October". Many production staff knew that stents, for which there was no market, were being manufactured.
"An audit by the US Food and Drugs Administration several weeks ago was called off, and then there were rumours. So some people just feel relieved to know at last," he said, explaining why he couldn't give his name. "They told us in the briefing that there would be press outside, that we would be free to talk, but that they had a public relations company. We took that as a warning."
Staff had been told there would be opportunities for between 50 and 100 posts at other Abbott bases. "Realistically, that's only Clonmel, Co Tipperary, as Galway and Clonmel are the only two that do cardiovascular work," he said.
"Some people here have to go to Clonmel quite frequently, so it might suit them. But I was in Clonmel a couple of weeks ago and, well . . . I'm not going there."
Inside, an unhappy-looking Damien Halloran was willing to give a small number of press interviews, provided there were no cameras, no photographers, no images at all - apart from that of public relations representative Laurie Mannix, who had been fielding questions outside.
