Carlow businesswoman says letting staff go because of Coronavirus was “worst day of her life”

A Carlow businesswoman says letting staff go because of the Coronavirus crisis was the worst day of her life.

Rachel Doyle of the Arboretum Lifestyle and Garden Centre in Leighlinbridge has had to close its doors, but is still operating online.

She says a large majority of her staff had to be laid off last month, which was very hard to bear.

She said “The 16th of March was the most difficult day in my business life and in the business life of Frank and our two sons Fergal and Barry, we let 94 people go, we closed the two restaurants and that was incredibly difficult”

She added “Now we are online and its going phenomenally well, we have 17 people getting out orders on the online”.