One of the country's largest building companies, Bowen Construction, has today gone into liquidation.
Bowen has been in operation since 1968, with offices in Cork, Dublin, Belfast, Limerick and Waterford.
The company has been involved in a number of high-profile projects - its clients include Iarnród Éireann, RTÉ and Crumlin Children's Hospital.
Bowen has approximately 70 direct employees, however, according to the Construction Industry Federation, a number of subcontractors will also be affected by its liquidation.
The CIF said it shows the need for a Government response to prevent the total loss of employment and skills in the construction sector.