More than 1,000 tractors took part in the first day of the Irish Farmers' Association's "tractorcade" protest, far exceeding the expectation of its president, Mr John Dillon.
Cavalcades of tractors from Tralee, Ballina and Castlebar began leaving for Dublin yesterday, but the main focus was on the Cork protest, which was led by Mr Dillon.
He started the drive to Dublin on the main street in Bantry yesterday morning where 220 tractors, some from Bere Island, had gathered to take part in the protest over farm incomes.
He told the farmers that they were taking the first action of the year to show the Government, and particularly the Department of Agriculture, that farmers were "not going to lie down and die".
The previous night Mr Dillon had held an historic meeting with the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation where it was agreed the farmers and the fishermen would develop a close working liaison at national level.
The manager of the ISWFO, Mr Jason Whooley, came to Bantry to wish the farmers well and told journalists he supported the action taken by the IFA.
The start of the protest was delayed to allow Mr Dillon speak live on the Pat Kenny Show on RTÉ Radio to tell the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, who was in studio, that he was not doing enough to help the farming community.
There was, he said, the basic problem of low income which he put at an average of €15,000, a figure disputed by Mr Walsh who claims the average is higher.
Mr Walsh said that he was doing all in his power to help the farming community, but the way to resolve the issue was through the partnership programme with Government, not on the roads of Ireland where the public who supported farmers during the foot-and-mouth crisis would be discommoded.
At speeds of up to 20 m.p.h. the Bantry tractorcade made a spectacular sight stretching over two miles of roadway as it swept through Drimoleague, Dunmanway and Kilmeen.
Dozens of people lined Emmet Square in Clonakilty where Mr Walsh has his family home, as the protest passed through the town without stopping. The small gathering applauded the protesters.
By the time the tractorcade had reached Clonakilty, there were 350 vehicles as groups from Skibereen joined in, and it took the procession nearly 20 minutes to go through the centre of the town.
There were some delays to traffic around Clonakilty, but the organisers seemed anxious to cause as little disruption as possible to other road-users. However, delays of up to 30 minutes were experienced by some drivers.
The tractorcade then moved on to Bandon, where the vehicles were parked for the night before moving through Cork city at lunchtime today on their way to Fermoy where the group will stay overnight.
Mr Dillon told the farmers at Bandon mart that they were on the road for one reason only, the lack of income.
"We have been criticised for taking this action, but if you are listening to your radios, you will hear our problems are now being seriously discussed today," he said.
He said the Government already knew what had to be done to help the farming community as it had been contained in a document for the national partnership talks, but he would hold a press conference later in the week to outline clearly what was necessary.
Meanwhile, Mr Walsh issued a statement outlining the aids given to farmers in recent years including support for the beef industry during the last BSE crisis, headage payments and the Farm Assist social welfare scheme.
Fine Gael called on the Minister to work with farmers, and to bring forward proposals to exclude farmers from the abolition of roll-over tax relief when compulsory purchase orders are made on their land, and to extend stock relief measures.
Today there will be more tractors on the move as part of the protest as vehicles leave other parts of the State.