Limerick IT will receive a bye into the quarter-finals of the Waterford Crystal Cup after it was confirmed this afternoon that the Cork hurlers will not field a side due to the ongoing player's strike in the county.
It had been hoped that the current impasse, which arose due to the inability of Cork managers to choose their selectors, could be resolved and the fixture go ahead as planned.
However, Cork PRO Bob Ryan has confirmed that the match will not go ahead, leaving Limerick IT to face Clare in the next round. The match will take place this Sunday in Meelick.
The joint strike by the Cork footballers and hurlers became a reality when club delegates voted 79-35 in favour of imposing selectors on an inter-county manager on November 20th of last year.
The game had been originally scheduled for last weekend but was delayed until tomorrow night in the hope that talks between the players and the county board could reach a resolution. But with little progress made, the fixture has now fallen by the wayside.
It is the first time a county team has been unable to fulfil a fixture due to strike action, a situation the Cork county board had been keen to avoid.