The ISEQ index fell 44 points to 5,839.56 this morning as food stocks came under selling pressure on fears of a foot-and-mouth outbreak.
Glanbia was the heaviest faller in the food sector losing 10 per cent to 40 cents. Golden Vale is unchanged at 80 cents and Greencore slipped a cent to euro 3.0.
Financials also looked weaker with AIB down 5 cents to euro 11.70 and Bank of Ireland off 6 cents at euro 10.25.
Eircom gained little from a recovery in the European TMT sector, gaining only a cent to euro 2.34.
The recovery is technology shares in London this morning is unlikely to be sustained after another raft of earnings warnings from the US. Oracle became the latest high tech company to warn of an earnings shortfall.
Rolls Royce was the biggest FTSE-100 gainer after reporting pre tax profits of £436 million sterling.
Vodafone also rallied further from early falls, adding 3-1/2p at £1.87 shaking off worries over news that Italian utility ENEL is seeking a £1.9 billion reduction in the price it will pay for telecoms group Infostrada, according to the Financial Times.