Farmers have battled to stay disease-free

Niall Connolly who owns a major equine centre just three miles from the first outbreak in the Irish Republic said: "Half my land is designated severely handicapped and half disadvantaged.

"I would say most of the farms around here are like that."

Now Mr Connolly is contemplating the ruin of a business which has taken 10 years to build.

National Enterprise Award

The Dales Equine Centre won a national enterprise award three years ago and breeds horses for sale in both Ireland and Britain.

It also specialises in horse-breaking, mare foaling and trekking holidays which take advantage of the picturesque backdrop of the Cooley Mountains.

Like most people in Ireland, Mr Connolly felt the huge collective act of will that the Irish have undertaken to keep foot-and-mouth of the country would work.

"When it first arrived in Britain, I thought it would definitely spread here, but as the weeks went on and there was only one outbreak in the north, I became more hopeful," he said.

The timing of the first outbreak in the south could hardly be worse for him and other farmers on the Colley peninsula.

'Horrendous situation'

Movement restrictions were scheduled to be lifted in the area next Tuesday, exactly a month after the discovery of the case north of the border in Meagh, County Armagh.

Like many farmers within the surveillance zone, the discovery of foot-and-mouth has made a grave situation worse.

Mr Connolly said: "The last month has been horrendous for me.

"I'm operating at about 20% of normal. I have between 50 and 60 horses including the sister of last year's Grand National winner Papillon and there will be no market for any of my foals.

"I'm not alone in Ireland in having thousands of pounds of valuable young horses that I cannot sell."

I was looking out the window this morning saying to myself, 'Should I go out to the shed to field the cattle or do I just wait for the slaughter?'

Louth farmer, John Elmore

Farmers in the area, who have been unable to sell their animals in recent weeks, have already been subject to severe financial hardship.

The Irish Government has offered financial help to some of the worst affected farmers whose holdings are on average only about 35 acres (15 hectares) each.

"They are very proud people, not complainers," said Raymond O'Malley the local chairman of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

"But we have told not to let the hardship get to their families and seek help from the government who have been very good in recent weeks.

"Everybody here is terrified. They know there is going to be a cull, but they don't know how extensive it is going to be."

Michael Ring, the farmer at the centre of the first outbreak in the Irish Republic since 1941, was said to be in a "state of shock" and too upset to speak.

We are devastated. This is the worst possible news we could have received. We thought we had it licked

Farmer Liam Woods

His neighbour Liam Woods, whose land fronts on to Mr Ring's, described him as an "absolute gentleman".

"There is only a paling post dividing our two farms. He is a very highly respected farmer and he does everything by the book 100%.

"We are devastated. This is the worst possible news we could have received. We thought we had it licked."

Mr Wood is now contemplating the certainty that his entire flock will be destroyed as the Irish government sets out on what agriculture minister Joe Walsh called an 'aggressive cull' in the Cooley peninsula area.

"My whole lifetime's work will be gone. I'm 61 years of age. It is a terrible way to end your career."

Another local sheep farmer John Elmore broke down on RTE Radio when he was spoke of the devastation the news has caused.

"I was up at 6am to see if there was any news. When I heard at 11 o'clock, it was heart-breaking.

"I met a neighbour on the road. I stopped my car, he stopped his. Neither of us could talk, we just went on.

"I was looking out the window this morning saying to myself, 'Should I go out to the shed to field the cattle or do I just wait for the slaughter?'

"It's just like a family bereavement. I couldn't feel any worse if it was my own family. I know it is not a fair comparison, but that's the way I feel at the moment."