Ballagh’ meat plant loses out

200 jobs to go as Ballaghaderreen meat plant loses out to Ballyhaunis

Michael Commins

FOR some time, there was an almost inevitability that Ballaghaderreen would lose out to Ballyhaunis in the meat plant industry. Therefore, the news that Dawn Meats was to wield the axe and close the meat processing factory in Ballaghaderreen last Friday did not come as a major shock to insiders in the business. The trust of the major investment by the company has been in the Ballyhaunis plant over the past year. That meant the writing was on the wall for the workforce in Ballaghaderreen.
In the region of 200 to 240 people are employed at the Ballagh’ plant, comprising of full-time and temporary workers. And while the company claim that around 120 workers will be offered alternative work at their sister plant in Ballyhaunis, very few on the ground believe this to be the case.
Local Independent councillor, John Kelly from Ballaghaderreen, and current Mayor of Roscommon, says he believes the number is much closer to just a third of that – around 40. “I know time will prove me right on this one,” he said.
The Ballaghaderreen plant was originally known as Towey Meats and was purchased from the family by Halal in the early 1980s. There was a major fire at the plant in 1991. The Kilkenny-based Avonmore Group bought the Ballyhaunis and Ballaghaderreen plants from Halal but sold them on to Dawn Meats (a Waterford-based company) around 1999.
Consolidation has become the name of the game in many businesses in recent years and it was always on the cards that Dawn Meats would close one of the two plants due to their proximity, being only 13 miles apart. The Ballagh’ plant killed bullocks and heifers while Ballyhaunis also killed cows as well as operating a sheep-line.
For some months past, work on upgrading the Ballyhaunis plant has been in full swing. The company says it is making an investment in the region of €15 million in the Ballyhaunis operation. There was no similar investment in Ballaghaderreen.
The decision had been clearly made to shut the operation in Ballagh’ and while it may have come as a shock to some workers and townsfolk last Friday, the signs were there for several months. It is now expected that all work will cease at the Ballagh’ plant before the end of March.
Local Sinn Féin councillor Michael Mulligan, together with Mayor Kelly, were refused admission to the plant around 12.30pm yesterday (Monday) when they sought to speak to the workers in the plant. “There was a message left with the gentleman at security that under no circumstances could media members or politicians go beyond the barrier and enter the premises. We believe this was a total lack of respect by the company,” said Mayor John Kelly.