The National Ploughing Championship due to be held at the beginning of October in Co Laois has been cancelled by its organisers due to the renewed risk of foot-and-mouth disease.
Managing director of the National Ploughing Association (NPA) Ms Anna May McHugh said the recent escalation of the disease in Britain meant the decision had to be taken in the interest of Irish farming.
The NPA has been in ongoing consultation with the Department of Agriculture and the event has been in doubt since the first outbreak of the disease was given the green light when it seemed Britain had got the outbreak under control.
"It is a major decision to make at this late stage but we share the concern of the Minister for Agriculture that the risk of foot and mouth disease has not decreased," she said.
This year’s championship was to have been the 70th anniversary of the event and will be only the second time is has ever been disrupted. The 1965 championship at Enniskerry had to be postponed for a week because of terrible weather.