The Coty cosmetic plant in Nenagh in Co Tipperary is to close with the loss of around 200 jobs.

Staff  were called to a meeting at noon today where they were told the news.  The plant will close by the end of 2018.

In a statement this lunchtime the company says they will be consolidating their operations into two core centres.

In 2015 the plant took over the Proctor and Gamble facility - which had been in operation in Nenagh since 1978.

SIPTU has described the closure oas a crippling blow to the area. Allen Dillon from the union said: “Proctor and Gamble have been in Nenagh since the 1970’s before Coty took over the plant last year and the closure is a crippling blow to the workers and their families as well as the local community and economy.” 

Pauline Walshe has worked there for the past 22 years - she's a mother of two and is getting married in August.

She says it's a huge massive loss to Nenagh