10,000 march in support of Cork hurlers

An estimated 10,000 people today marched in support of the 2008 Cork hurling squad which is currently on strike.

An estimated 10,000 people today marched in support of the 2008 Cork hurling squad which is currently on strike.

The protest march. which was held in Cork city, comes two days after the county's senior footballers announced they would also withdraw from inter-county activity unless a resolution is found.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the footballers said: "We have been monitoring the current conflict between the Cork senior hurling panel 2008 and the executive of the Cork county board for a number of months. We feel it is now time to clarify our position, which is that we fully support the stance taken by the 2008 hurling panel.

"We confirm our unanimous agreement to withdraw our services as of the end of the National Football League unless a resolution is found to the satisfaction of the 2008 hurling and football panels."

The dispute between the hurlers and the county board over the re-appointment of manager Gerald McCarthy for another two years has been running for nearly four months now and means that Cork will have to field a fourth- or fifth-choice team for tomorrow's opening of the National Hurling League against Dublin in Páirc Uí­ Rinn.