A VETERAN factory worker is defying a cancer diagnosis to support a marathon sit-in redundancy protest now approaching its 100th day.

Henry O'Reilly -- who worked at Cork firm Vita Cortex for more than 40 years -- was last month diagnosed with liver, spleen and pancreatic cancer.

He is now responding well to treatment.

His diagnosis only came after he contracted what was suspected to have been pneumonia while supporting the sit-in at the freezing Cork plant since December 16 last.

While Mr O'Reilly cannot physically participate in the sit-in anymore, he supports his former colleagues by keeping in touch with the protest on a daily basis.

"Treatment is going well and the success rate is somewhere between 50pc and 90pc," he said.

Last night, Cork TD Ciaran Lynch hailed Mr O'Reilly as "a true hero" and said his commitment to his fellow workers underlined the determination of the Vita Cortex staff to see justice done.

Mr O'Reilly modestly played down his ongoing role in the protest but admitted that his greatest regret was not being well enough to attend a special fundraising concert staged in Cork for the Vita Cortex workers last month by his idol, Christy Moore.

"I just couldn't go -- I was too tired and just wasn't up to it," he said.

Saturday marks the 100th day of occupation at the plant. Vita Cortex has insisted it doesn't have the cash to fund the top-up redundancy payment that the workers insist they were promised.

Irish Independent