The FAI yesterday fell into line with the rest of the country's main sporting organisations and postponed all of their fixtures for the coming weekend. The decision means that the Harp Lager FAI Cup quarterfinal between Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers, which was to be shown live on Network 2 tonight, will along with matches at all levels of the sport have to refixed over the coming weeks.

The decision by the association initially affects only games scheduled for the coming weekend, although Merrion Square officials admitted that they are currently unaware how the crisis will affect fixtures in the longterm future.

"We will continue to liaise with the Department (of Agriculture) and will constantly monitor developments in the coming days," said the association's chief executive Bernard O'Byrne yesterday. It is expected that a meeting will take place early next week.

FAI President Pat Quigley said that the decision had been taken on the basis of the "national importance" of the situation. It was felt in some quarters that games like tonight's Dublin derby might be exempted from the suspension but a decision was taken that to start making exceptions would lead to considerable problems within the association.

Shelbourne secretary Ollie Byrne said: "I appreciate the difficulties the government are in and we feel that we have to be supportive of them in the circumstances. The fact is we just have to accept the decision, although obviously if the postponements were to continue for any period of time we and a lot of other clubs would be devastated."

Galway United, meanwhile, have also been forced to postpone tonight's planned fundraising game involving the club's first team, most of the Galway Gaelic football team and a variety of other celebrities.

"It's a disaster for us," said a club spokesman yesterday, "this was the thing that was supposed to get us out of trouble: we were expecting a huge crowd and now we've had to abandon it."