A SELF-DESCRIBED “dedicated bunch of lads to the Black and Amber cause” have adopted the paintbrush as the latest weapon in a battle over the county boundaries between Kilkenny and Waterford.

‘The K Team’ have taken issue with a rock on ‘Mount Misery’ overlooking the river Suir beside Waterford City, upon which a massive White and Blue flag – the colours of Waterford’s hurling team – were painted in advance of the Déise’s All-Ireland semi-final with Kilkenny.

Traditionally the river is seen as the boundary between the two counties – but Waterford City Council proposed an extension to the city’s boundaries in 2005 that would see the rock face on the Kilkenny side of the river taken within the city’s boundaries.

The area has since been, in many eyes, a no-man’s-land – with Google Maps declaring the area (on the edge of the curiously-named Waterford Golf Club) within the county of Kilkenny, while Waterford City Council’s website displaying the area as being just inside the city boundaries.

In the last few weeks, however, a group styling itself ‘The K Team‘ has made it its mission to ensure the flag is coloured Black and Amber – leading the massive flag to change colour six times in a week earlier this month. Even the local press has taken the respective sides.

Such is the team’s fervour to the cause that they have produced 600 litres of paint to emblazon Kilkenny’s colours on the rock, which overlooks Waterford city itself, as well as other areas along the county boundary.

They have even produced a line of merchandise, which can be bought online, and are reputed to have poured cooking oil on the flag after one repainting so as to leave the surface too slippery to paint over.

Mount Misery will no doubt become a point of even greater contention should Waterford set up an All-Ireland final appearance with Kilkenny by beating Tipperary in Sunday’s second semi-final.