Players on fringe may miss Lions consideration

Ireland's rugby plans, along with those of thousands of supporters have been thrown into disarray as a result of the potentially catastrophic outbreak of foot and mouth disease in these islands.

While the serious implications reverberate throughout the community as a whole, the consequences for the Six Nations championship pale into insignificance when compared with the potential impact on the Celtic Tiger, not to mention those people whose livelihoods are directly affected in the short term.