Christmas 1967 was the last time an appeal was made to the Irish abroad not to return home for Christmas. Then taoiseach Jack Lynch sent a message 53 years ago this week (22 December) pleading with those living and working in the UK, not to come home for Christmas, due to the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
The highly infectious disease, which affected cattle, sheep and pigs, resulted in distressing scenes as half a million farm animals were destroyed in England and Wales, many of them on burning pyres.
In Ireland, travel restrictions were imposed and a range of special precautions were carried out for several months. These included disinfecting footwear at public buildings, fumigating personal belongings at airports and spraying vehicles arriving