Glenisk Director vows to fight back after major fire destroys Killeigh plant
In the aftermath of a huge fire which completely destroyed the Glenisk yogurt manufacturing plant in Newtown, Killeigh today (Monday) one of the Directors of the plant has vowed to salvage what they can and start again.
In an RTÉ interview outside the factory this afternoon, Glenisk Director, Gerard Cleary, said "basically everything" was lost in the devastating fire, but he added that the management team at the plant were "resilient" and he vowed that they would "fight back."
The devastating fire, which has now been brought under control, resulted in the complete evacuation of all 50 staff, some of whom had to be treated for smoke inhalation. Mr. Cleary told RTÉ that he was grateful that the plant's safety and emergency plan had worked effectively and that all staff had been safety evacuated.
The award-winning company, which was founded by the Cleary family, is now one of the leading suppliers of premium organic yogurt to the Irish and international market. However, Mr. Cleary admitted to RTÉ that "anything that gets us a pot of yogurt to the supermarket shelf , that's all gone at the moment" and he said the company would have to see what they could salvage "and then just start again, that's all we can do."
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil TD for Offaly, Barry Cowen has offered his sympathies to those impacted by the devastating fire which broke out at the Glenisk factory at Killeigh, Tullamore this morning.
Deputy Cowen commented: “This is terrible news for all those associated with Glenisk today. I have made initial contact with the company’s managing director to offer my commiserations and assistance in any way.
“Everyone was relieved to hear that there had been no casualties reported, however the blaze appears to have caused extensive damage to the facility. Our thoughts are with everyone at Glenisk right now.”
The Offaly TD added: “I’d like to praise and thank the emergency services personnel for attending this incident and doing everything they could to contain the blaze and ensure the safety of everyone at the facility.
“I have no doubt that the local authorities and the community will assist in the restoration of the plant and facilities to ensure the continued excellence of Glenisk products.”