"There is no business in this town that can say it is immune to what happens to the farmers. We are in complete solidarity with them," said Mr Peter Fox, president of Birr Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Fox, who runs a chemist shop, is one of the majority of the town's traders who have both mats and buckets of disinfectant at their doors. The foyers of hotels and banks are awash with it, so much so that the size of the wash appears to be a badge of concern.
"Disinfectant is not expensive," said Mr Fox, "It is nothing compared to what would happen to this town if there was a foot-and-mouth outbreak around here."
With the exception of food shops and supermarkets, business in the town has dropped off. Reluctance to travel to larger towns to visit the major chain stores has resulted in more business for local grocers. "People have still got to eat," said a Londis proprietor, Mr Pascal Campbell. But if his business is up because of the restrictions on movement, he shows no sense of pleasure. The disinfectant coming from his shop can be smelt across the street.
Mr Leslie Dreaper runs a hardware and furniture business. His trade has been hurt by the closure of the local mart. "The farmers would come in to sell cattle and buy wire, whatever they need. Now they aren't coming unless they have to, and business is down."
However, in a sentiment echoed by many business people, he thinks farmers will still need the wire and posts and will pick them up when the crisis is past. "Instead of coming in to town to buy now, I hope they are at home keeping a list," he said.
Mr Willie Loughnane, managing director of the Birr County Arms hotel, said the summer season had already been lost. "Even if it was to never get here [the midlands], the Americans think of us as the British Isles and are afraid of catching it, while the British are actively being asked to stay at home."
In addition, meetings between civil servants and small conferences have been cancelled. The prospect of a major campaign to convince Irish people to holiday at home this year is the only thing that will save some business, he said.
Birr Castle's visitor centre has just reopened after a two-week closure. However, with the castle "on an overdraft losing money" because the centre, with its full-time staff of 13, stayed open throughout the winter, a good summer season is needed, said Ms Alicia Parsons.
"Booking are now 30 per cent down on last year. They were 20 per cent up before this started. On a normal St Paddy's Day, we would have expected 750 visitors. We got about 400 and it seems to be getting worse", she said.
Traders expressed solidarity with the farmers in their attempts to limit the spread of the disease. But they are critical of the British government for not doing enough to eradicate the disease there. Even if it was to clear up in Britain now, said Ms Parsons, it would take four months for the local economy to return to normal.
And while some traders may be prepared to endure that for the greater good, Ms Parsons said some in the more vulnerable tourist trade would not be able to continue, at least with employment levels as they are.
The Co Offaly IFA chairman, Mr James Kane, said farmers were now facing real problems. "I am getting calls from farmers who have cows calving and they can't sell the calves. They can't keep them either because they don't have the cover or the fodder so they ask me what to do.
"I also have a steady stream of people whose cows are `bulling', but the AI man can't get out to them. Farmers can't continue their stock breeding plans which get under way at this time of the year."
Ms Isobel Delahunt, whose family farm is at Banagher, said: "The public have been very good about cancelling most things, but others have not. I cannot understand how we are relaxing the rules now that we have foot-and-mouth in Co Louth, when those rules were more stringent when the disease was not here.
"You see the faces of those men on the television, the ones who have lost everything. And that is a lot of fear and stress for a farmer to face," she said.