'Psssssst! Do you know we're lucky we weren't born 10 years ago when there was
an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease here on the Cooley peninsula in Co Louth and every lamb, sheep and goat was killed?'
'So what -we're going to end up with the mint sauce sooner or later.'
The Spring of 2001 is remembered as The Silent Spring by the farmers of Cooley who
were devastated to lose their flocks following an outbreak of the dreaded Foot and Mouth Disease on a local farm. The Department of Agriculture moved quickly to contain the outbreak and the Cooley peninsula was virtually sealed off. All public events, sporting fixtures and even masses were cancelled to prevent the spread of the disease.
After the all clear was given, farmers began to restock but generations of bloodlines were
lost as they had to buy in flocks from different parts of the country.