A staggering 400 people have applied for a dishwashing job in an Irish fast food outlet.

Donal Cox is the manager of Charley's Cafe in Letterkenny, County Donegal. Cox said he was "amazed" when he received 400 applications for a dishwashing job in the fast food outlet. The restaurant currently employs 16 people both full and part time.

Cox posted a job advertisement on the FAS website, FAS is a state run company that helps the unemployed retrain and seek new work.

"A girl was going on maternity leave so l only needed someone for a few months," said Cox.

"Once the job went up on the FAS website I started getting emails from people in Dundalk, Dublin and as far away as Poland and the Czech Republic."

"A lot of the applicants were more qualified than what I needed for washing dishes. I couldn't believe it."

Cox stressed that those that applied for the job from other arts of the country were prepared to immediately move to Donegal and start work "straight away".

"Usually, I would get 20 to 30 replies to a job ad. One of the applicants said they had nowhere to stay in Letterkenny, however, they were still prepared to travel up here for an interview.
"Once it went up on the FAS website it all went mad. I suppose it's a sign on the times we now find ourselves in.

Last week over 1,000 people applied for less than 25 jobs at a new cinema in Gorey, County Wexford.


Many of the applicants were over qualified for the job and Cinema manager Eugene Tobin said he was "flummoxed" by the sheer number of the applicants.
As unemployment rises and the recession cuts deeper into Irish society, specially trained and highly educated people are being forced to apply for unskilled jobs due to the lack of skilled jobs.

It is estimated that over 20,000 Irish people have emigrated due to unemployment.

Cox said that the dishwashing job went to a local man that "had experience in the catering trade."