Let go by text with a week's notice- is this legal??

Hi all,

I'm a final year student working part time in a restaurant within a medium size hotel. As the month of November has been quiet like every year, management within the hotel decided to hold a meeting with every separate department this morning. I couldn't attend this meeting as we were only told Saturday and we have exams in three weeks so taking a day off from College is not an option.

As a result of the meeting for our department, all the part timers (seven of us) have been let go. I found out I was let go from a friend who attended the meeting by a text the middle of a lecture. Our management didn't even have the decency to ring us to tell us we're let go.

I have hours this weekend but after that nothing, so I only have been given less than a week's notice.
I've been working there for three and a half years, is this even legal???
As part timers are we legally entitled to any redundancy money or anything?

I have paid my own way through College for the last three years so financial worries have never been far from my mind. This year I decided I wouldn't worry about money and now this happens.

I would appreciate any feedback because any bit of redundancy would make a huge difference!!!

Thanks!