REACTION:SOLEMN ONE-or-two word answers tumbled from the lips of of workers who yesterday morning learned that Waterford Wedgwood had gone into receivership.

Donie Fell, an employee at the plant in Kilbarry for 38 years, said that people are devastated at the latest news.

“It’s been on the cards for a while; things have been going downhill and downhill.

“People are hoping that something could be done with it and it looks now, at the minute, like an unlikelihood.”

Mr Fell said there was considerable anger over the lack of direct communication from management.

“Typical of the management that’s in there, they have a tendency to ignore the workers when they’re making their pronouncements.

“This is just par for the course with them really, you know?

“I really don’t think the Government is doing enough . . . they were asked to put up a guarantee for €39 million earlier in the year and they failed to come up to the line on that.

“But there’s no problem when their crony developers are in trouble. I personally believe they have to act – it’s not just the number of jobs that are in there.”

Noel Brown, a worker at Kilbarry for some 34 years, added: “I only heard it half an hour ago on Sky News.

“I don’t think it’s curtains. Hopefully they’ll get a buyer but it’s not looking good. The debts are really big.

“We’re just hoping for the best now,” added Mr Brown.

“The place is making money.They’re Irish jobs, they’re good jobs. They have been for all my lifetime anyway,” he said.

Lisa Ryan, a customer services worker at Kilbarry for almost 10 years, said: “It’s really, really bad, we just don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see – hopefully they’ll get a buyer.

“I hope I’ll have my job but sure there’s people worse off than me,” Ms Ryan added.

And while the workers at the nearby visitors’ centre good-naturedly attempted to carry on regardless, the visitors were quite forthcoming with their views.

“I think it got too big. I think it got too global,” said Gay Elmes, a Waterford native living in Co Cork for 30 years.

“I actually went to school in Waterford and I remember when they had the factory in Johnstown and everybody wanted to see a brand like Waterford become an international brand.

“The cost of making the product is now so astronomical that I don’t see how you could afford to buy this on a regular basis.

“I couldn’t afford to buy it myself now,” Ms Elmes said.

The costs of production of items such as Royal Doulton in the UK are adding to the production costs here, she said.

“But production costs for any manufacturer in Ireland are way more than they are in Britain.

“I don’t see that it’s the Government’s job to support private enterprise,” Ms Elmes said.

Peggy Nugent, of Tramore, added: “I’ve known lots of people who’ve worked here over the years,friends and, in earlier years, family.

“It’s going to be such a blow for Waterford. It was the heart of the city so it’s very, very sad,” she added.

Minister for Art, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen said that Waterford Crystal is one of the “few global brands that this country has”.

“It has made an enormous contribution over the last 70 or 80 years and can do so in the future.

“It’s not a question of running in with so much money and there we go. If we can find a way forward, with another investor involved in the company, our message will be to keep this company in Ireland, in Waterford.

“That’s what we want. That’s what we are going to do.”

Mayor of Waterford city Cllr Jack Walsh said: “It is now clear that very urgent action is required to ensure that the employment base in Waterford and the wider region is not further eroded during the current economic downturn.”

Vice-president of Waterford Chamber of Commerce Tom Murnan said: “Waterford Crystal is hugely important to this city and the entire region.

“Over the last 60 years, it has contributed hugely to the local economy and is a huge part of the fabric of life here.”

Mr Murnan said he was confident that the company would attract a buyer.

And then, in yesterday’s early evening, Waterford Wedgwood plc confirmed that it had received notices of the resignations of Sir Anthony O’Reilly, Lady O’Reilly, Redmond O’Donoghue and Patrick Molloy as directors of the group, and from any subsidiary boards of which they were members.

The resignations were effective immediately.