The cancellation of the National Ploughing Championships, due to be held in Co Laois, because of the renewed threat from foot-and-mouth disease in Britain, has cast doubt over some other rural events.
There were indications last night, however, that the three postponed Irish rugby internationals - with Scotland, England and Wales - will be played.
The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, who is due to travel to Larne, Co Antrim, later today to inspect port disinfection facilities there, described the cancellation of the ploughing championships - the biggest annual outdoor event in the Republic - as a "correct decision".
A spokesman for the Minister said last night that the Department's expert group on foot-and-mouth controls had been examining possible risks involved in a number of forthcoming events.
Special attention was being paid to the October Horse Fair in Ballinasloe, Co Galway. This week-long event is attended by crowds in excess of 100,000 and attracts many buyers from the UK.
Meanwhile, Motorsport Ireland has cancelled the Wexford Car Rally this coming weekend, again as a result of the foot-and-mouth risk.
Because of growing concern at the continuing problems in Britain, all events were being examined, Mr Walsh said. However, rugby internationals were not seen as a risk at present. Ireland is due to play England at Lansdowne Road on October 20th after playing away to Scotland on September 22nd and Wales on October 6th.
The ploughing championships were due to be held from October 2nd to 4th at Ballacolla, Co Laois, and would have been attended by more than 120,000 people, mainly from rural Ireland. A large contingent of traders and farmers would have come from Britain.
There had been intense discussions between the National Ploughing Association and the Department on controls which could be put in place, but yesterday morning the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association called for cancellation of the event.
If the championships took place, its executive council would be urging members not to attend, it said. The absence of farm machinery would have dealt a crippling blow to the event.
A statement from the NPA yesterday evening said that after consultation with the Department of Agriculture it had decided that the interests of Irish agriculture would be best served by cancelling this year's ploughing championships.
"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", said the NPA's managing director, Mrs Anna May McHugh. "In the circumstances, we have no option but to cancel."
This is only the second time in its 70-year history that the championships have not gone ahead as scheduled.
The president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr Tom Parlon, described the cancellation as "inevitable" because of the continuing threat from foot-and-mouth in Britain. While many farming families would be disappointed, calling off the event was a price which had to be paid to safeguard Irish agriculture.
The president of the Irish Cattletraders and Stockowners Association, Mr Charlie Reilly, praised the NPA for having the courage to call off the championships.