The Minister for Agriculture Mr Walsh tonight said the Government was facing up to the most difficult period of its battle to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth in the Republic.
Mr Walsh spoke as he attended one the first race meetings since the sport was temporarily banned in a bid to head off the disease six weeks ago.
At Mallow racecourse in Co Cork - there was also a meeting at Leopardstown - the Minister said he was "extremely nervous" because the virus now appeared to be rampant in Northern Ireland.
The full racing programme is due to get back to normal later this week in the wake of a relaxation of some Government-imposed controls.
And while it was being stressed tonight that there were no immediate plans to restore the ban, officials maintained that any measures thought necessary would be considered.
So far there has been only one case of the disease in the Republic - confirmed in Co Louth last month close to both the Border and a farm in Co Armagh, where foot-and-mouth was detected earlier.
Mr Walsh declared: "This virus is active in the north of Ireland. It is travelling surreptitiously through flocks and herds there, and we don't know at this stage where it began, or where it is going to end.
"We certainly need a bid of luck if we are to get no more cases. But we have to make our luck - we have to keep up the vigilance and disinfection.
"That is the best way of having the best luck."
Earlier Mr Walsh warned the Republic is on "red alert" after further outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Northern Ireland.
Test results are expected on two "hot" suspect cases of the virus close to one of the two outbreaks confirmed in the North over the weekend. These results may not be available until tomorrow.
TheNorth's Agriculture Minister Mrs Bríd Rodgers today announced a complete ban on all animal movements.
Speaking on RTÉ radio this morning Mr Walsh said authorities here were on standby and had a contingency plan in place to deal with a worst-case scenario in Northern Ireland.
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Mrs Rodgers said the virus would be contained there but only if "every single individual farmer to recognises that the future of the industry is in their hands".
She told RTÉ radio this morning: "Putting a mat at your gate is not enough. You must stop people going in".
She told farmers to seal their farms with the message: "Nobody in, nobody out, nothing in, nothing out".
"If there are farmers out there, if there are people out there who are aware of movements perhaps which were not licenced they need to tell us urgently", said Mrs Rodgers.
The North's First Minister Mr Trimble said today the Executive had prepared contingency plans in case of the worst possible scenario.
"It is essential that all farmers recognise a collective responsibility and their personal responsibility because at the moment we don't know the source of the two outbreaks," he said.
"It is absolutely critical that the Department of Agriculture is put in the position to trace those sources as quickly as possible."
As the Executive met, the incineration of 550 animals at the farm in Ardboe where the second case of foot and mouth was discovered.
Meanwhile a scientist from the Pirbright laboratory in the UK has criticised authorities for announcing negative preliminary results on the Ardboe cases which later proved positive.
Slaughtering of sheep, pigs and cattle is continuing at the sites in Ardboe, Co Tyrone and Cushendall, Co Antrim -the site of the North's third confirmed outbreak of the virus.
Until Friday Northern Ireland had only a single outbreak of the disease - in Meigh, south Armagh - six weeks ago and officials believed they had managed to contain it.
The EU meat and dairy export ban - lifted in most of Northern Ireland only two weeks ago - was back in place along with tightened controls along the Border.
Today's loyalist Apprentice Boys' parade in Belfast, Easter Rising commemorations and sporting fixtures were called off to avoid large gatherings of people.
Earlier Mr Walsh said organisers of sporting events must "make absolutely sure" disinfecting procedures were being adhered to.
The cases of foot-and-mouth disease to date in Northern Ireland are: Meigh, south Armagh; Ardboe, Co Tyrone; and Cushendall, Co Antrim. The two suspected cases are also in Ardboe.
The Republic's single outbreak was just across the Border from Meigh in Proleek, Co Louth.
Additional reporting PA
