Nearly 20 jobs are to be lost in Dublin with the closure of car dealership Rathdown Motors following several years of sustained losses. The business, in Terenure, will close before Christmas with the loss of 16 full-time and two part-time jobs. The company specialised in new and used vehicles.

“Despite substantial investment in the business and an experienced management team, losses have continued due to the major decline in and continued weakness of the car market,” the company said in a statement.

The company, an authorised main dealer for Hyundai, said it would provide service support for warranty customers for six months after the closure. The dealership, established by Mark Turley in 1986, has been in operation for more than 25 years.

“For staff and customers alike, I very much regret that closure is now a necessity on economic grounds,” Mr Turley said. “Rathdown is a business I started at 18 years of age and that I built to a leading dealership position. Closing it is a very difficult decision, one that I have deferred for a lengthy period.”