Players issue plea for unity as strike ends

THE Cork senior squads last night expressed hope of “a new era of co-operation with the Cork County Board”, following the resolution of their three-month long dispute last night.

Both the football and hurling squads will return to training in the coming days following the end of the bitter strike which began in November in a row with board bosses over the selection of team managements.

The row, which rocked the GAA, was eventually settled following the intervention of the chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission, Kieran Mulvey, who yesterday recommended that Cork GAA football manager Teddy Holland and his selectors step back from their positions.

The players thanked Mulvey and the GAA’s new Director General, Paraic Duffy for their roles in ending the crisis.

The panels issued a joint statement on the matter last night.

“We would like to thank the people of Cork for their support for the past few months, which has kept us going in difficult times.

“We are delighted this dispute is over and we are all looking forward to getting back to playing for Cork in 2008.

“We would also like to thank Kieran Mulvey and Paraic Duffy for their help in resolving matters.

“Lessons have been learned on both sides and we look forward to a new era of cooperation with the Cork County Board so we can all go forward together from here.

“Corcaigh Abú.”