Cork goes thong-less!

The availability of men's thongs has hit something of a bum note after shops in the city centre sold out of the threadbare item. The shortage comes after the successful Guinness World Record attempt for 'Most Bodies Painted' in Cork recently. 

136 men gathered to take part in the event and all came clad in thongs, an underwear form many had not worn before. Although the local economy has taken something of a welcome boost thanks to the scramble, it seems that men will have to return to more traditional underwear due to the shortage of male thongs around the city.

Lisa Fray of Ann Summers on Princes Street says that the demand for the item was incredible. "We usually stock about 20 male thongs in the shop, they come in a gold colour and as well as that, we have novelty thongs for men as well.

"The demand for them was unreal, we didn't know that there was going to be such a surge for them so we didn't pre-order more of them, so when the twenty were sold that was it! There was a constant stream of men into the shop but we had none left and they were saying that there was none left in any other shop so everyone was in a huge panic. We haven't got more male thongs in to the shop so there is a complete shortage of them in Cork at the minute!"

Keira O'Connell who was chief organiser of the World Record attempt says that men who were involved in the event were desperately trying to get their hands on one of the few precious male thongs being sold in the county.

"I kept meeting men in states of trauma in lingerie shops in Cork looking for a thong. In the end, anyone who couldn't get a male thong had to wear large sized women's thongs. My boyfriend warned me before the event to contact lingerie shops and let them know that demand would be high, but I was so busy with the organisation that it slipped my mind."

Despite the panic, the event was a huge success where the previous record of 246 people was smashed after 316 people took part on Saturday 28 July and Keira should know in about six to eight weeks whether or not the group will receive the official record from Guinness but she is optimistic.

"The event was a huge success and it was much better than I expected, it was fabulous!"