You'll never walk alone, Sean

Loud and repetitious, the message was clear as it echoed, 3,000-fold, through the centre of Cavan yesterday from noon. 'Save our jobs' was the mantra an estimated 2,500 to 4,000 Quinn Group workers and supporters chanted over and over as they marched from Church Street down Main street, looping back via Farnham Street. The march stopped about 20 minutes later at the constituency office of Cavan/Monaghan TD Brendan Smith, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, where they hoped for intervention. The rain was drizzling down on the massive crowd, which spilled back as far as Cavan Cathedral. People (many wearing their Quinn uniforms) were holding umbrellas overhead and there were puddles at their feet. Representing Quinn Insurance employees, Denise Leddy stood before her colleagues and read out a letter to Minister Smith: "Dear Minister," read Ms Leddy. "We want to express our dismay at the events of last week. Since the inception of QIL, we, the employees, have been instrumental in the success and profitability of the business to date. We have changed the face of the insurance market in Ireland resulting in lower and more accessible insurance policies for all. We are of the understanding that QIL has never had any issues paying debts... We call on the government to implement the reversal of provisional adminstration of QIL and also for the ban on writing insurance in the UK to be lifted immediately." Following cheers and a re-ignition of chanting, the chairman of Cavan Town Council, Cllr. Andrew Boylan, addressed the crowd as chairman of the BMW Regional Assembly, giving an impassioned speech that won audible support. He assured the crowd of backing in "securing jobs that have been built by the Quinn Group over decades". "I recognise what Sean Quinn has done for this region," said Cllr. Boylan, speaking of how the company "pay their way" and "honour their commitments". There was a huge cheer as he told workers: "You have put your stake in Cavan, and nobody, but nobody, is going to come in and drive you out". Cllr. Boylan called on Minister Smith, who he described as "an honourable man", to intervene. Ms Leddy knocked on Minister Smith's office door and the hushed crowd looked on as she politely handed a letter to the two women who answered. The entire situation seemed a little surreal. Surreal for those of us non-Quinn Group employees present, but the threat of unemployment seemed real for most of the people there. Expectancy hung in the air. "Is the minister going to come out?" one protester asked a colleague. But no; that was it, for the day at least. Ms Leddy shook hands with the personnel at Minister Smith's office, and all that remained was for an organiser with a megaphone to thank all who turned out on a wet and gloomy afternoon. "This is only the start," said a spokesman informing the crowd of another rally today (Wednesday) at 5.30pm in the Market Square, Cavan.