Staff of the Old Darnley are sitting-in at the hotel

Rally in support of Old Darnley workers

Supporters of former staff of the Old Darnley Lodge Hotel in Athboy are holding a rally between 1 and 2pm on Saturday, in support of the workers who have been sitting in at the hotel since a receiver moved in on Wednesday 16th January. They are urging the public to come out to support the staff who are sitting in to get their redundancy and other entitlements . The rally will take place outside the hotel starting at 1pm. Meanwhile workers at the hotel have vowed to continue their sit-in for the foreseeable future. The 42 staff members who have lost their jobs were told on Tuesday that a meeting of creditors will take place in the Cavan Crystal Hotel in Cavan on 5th February at which there will be a bid to put the company into liquidation. An accountant appointed by Mitrespor, the company which has been running the hotel since March 2011, told workers that the company would be trying to get redundancy and outstanding monies from the social protection fund, according to SIPTU official, Martin Mannion. Workers were given one hour's notice on Wednesday 16th at 10pm that the hotel would close at 11pm. Joe McGovern, who was on duty that night, said the first they knew anything was wrong was when a security company came in to change the locks.