THE 91 employees of the Shamrock Apparel clothing factory in Coolock have been told the plant is to close later this month. The shock news was relayed to local management yesterday by the company's Hong Kong parent, which said it was a result of accumulated losses at the plant over a number of years.

Local management was informed the plant, which manufactures high-quality knitwear for export markets, is to close ion July 25th. The parent company, Fang Knitwear, is believed to have said the closure was due to a build-up of losses at the plant which had been exacerbated by the recent strength of the pound against the dollar. The company exports from Dublin to the US and Europe and has operated from the Greencastle Road in Coolock since 1984.

The company's trade union, SIPTU, is to hold urgent talks with company management and staff this morning. Mr Jimmy Somers, president of the union, said it would be seeking more detailed information on the reasons for the closure decision.

The union's information was that the company's financial performance had improved and it had a full order book until October, he said. It would be looking to see what could be done to safeguard the jobs. The union would also be seeking the support of State agencies such as IDA Ireland and FAS, he added.

Shamrock Apparel planned a major expansion shortly after coming to Ireland, but this never transpired. However, sources say that while the company has had its difficulties over the years, neither local management nor the employees had expected a decision to close.