Most natives embrace the festival aspect rather than the operatic one, resulting in three weeks of celebrations and liveliness.

Here's how the Wexford People have reported this week's problems, and the cancellation of the Wexford Rally:

WEXFORD FESTIVAL Opera chiefs are hoping for the best following the scrapping of two major public events because of fears over foot and mouth disease.

Motor Sport Ireland on Monday pulled the plug on this weekend's Crosbie Cedar's Wexford Rally and the National Ploughing Association said its national championships in Laois, due to take place in Laois early next month, were being called off.

'At the moment it's all systems go and fingers' crossed,' said Jerome Hynes, chief executive of Wexford Festival Opera. The festival artistes are due to arrive in Wexford over the weekend with a reception planned at the Theatre Royal on Monday night.

The IFA said its food fair, the biggest single event of the festival, which is due to take place at the Talbot Hotel, on October 19, was 'under review'.

'There is no threat to the festival opera at the moment, but we are keeping a watching brief,' said Mr. Hynes.

'We took the situation seriously during the initial outbreak earlier in the year and we are taking it seriously now,' he said.

The Department of Agriculture said it was seriously concerned about the recent spread of the disease into areas of Britain previously declared clear of foot and mouth.

The only events cancelled so far involve access through or on to farmland, but there are concerns that travellers from Britain could carry the disease into Ireland via the Rosslare Ferryport where stringent precautions have been in place for several months.

Similar concerns earlier this year led to a virtual shutdown of public events throughout Co. Wexford and the rest of the country.

IFA President Tom Parlon said the decision to cancel the two events was inevitable given the continued threat from Britain and it was a price that had to be paid to safeguard the country from the disease.

Mark Cooper, spokesman for Wexford Motor Club, which was organising the rally, said no-one was very happy at the decision to call it off, but they understood the reasons why. Drivers from Britain had been barred from this year's event, which had attracted a full field of 130 cars.

'At this late stage, with all the work done we are not very happy, but we understand and have to obey our governing body. There will be no Wexford rally for 2001.'