It has been announced that the Littleton Bord na Mona factory is to close in April of next year.
The announcement was made this afternoon as staff met with management.
There was speculation throughout the day that management was due to announce the closure of either the Co. Tipperary plant or the facility in Derinlough, Co. Offaly.
Demand for briquettes has fallen in recent years and both plants have been found to be operating below full capacity.
Locally, some believe the fall in demand for briquettes is due to the introduction of a carbon tax and the arrival of cheaper imports.
70 people are employed on a full-time basis at the Littleton plant which is now expected to close within a year.
Commenting immediately after the emergence of the news, Cllr. Micheál Lowry said that he is surprised the lead up to closure is only a year, adding that he expected the winding down process to take longer than that.
