COMPANIES in Carlow and Kilkenny have announced that they will hire some 225 new employees in the near future. Arcon Mines announced that it sought 125 new employees for its mine at Galmoy, Co Kilkenny, while Clonmel Chilling said it would need loo personnel to reopen a plant in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow. Arcon said the new work would pave the way for production at Ireland's first lead and zinc mine in over 20 years.

Meanwhile, Clonmel Chilling Ltd, one of Ireland's leading beef processing companies, said it had bought and would reopen the AIBP factory in Bagenalstown. The plant has been closed since 1994. The company said in a statement yesterday that it would reopen the plant within a month with 40 workers, with this figure expected to rise in the near future to 100.