As teams of stewards and helpers dismantled the stands at the Tullamore Show, which was cancelled late on Saturday night because of bad weather, the show committee was counting the cost of the cancellation.
Chairman of the show committee Tom Maher said he was deeply disappointed that the show, which costs in the region of €600,000 to stage annually, had to be cancelled.
"We had two major thunderstorms here late on Saturday evening and there were rivers of water through the site. There were health and safety and many other factors involved so we met as a committee and decided it should not go ahead," he said.
Mr Maher said the show could not be rescheduled because of the rules of the Show Association, which governs all shows in the country, and insurance issues.
"Basically you are looking at a full year's work gone down the drain but the fact is we would rather not do it than not do it right," he said as teams of workers began taking down tents and stands.
Mr Maher said he "never seen such rain" in his life and the car parks and tents were flooded.
Many of the livestock owners had already arrived on site, as had most of the 560 trade stand operators who were to set up in the 200,000sq ft of tented areas at the huge site at Charleville Castle just outside Tullamore.
"Some of the pedigree show people have been here since Thursday and they are deeply disappointed at having to leave," said Mr Maher.
One of those hardest hit by the cancellation was George Smullen of Benson Mobile and Event Catering, who had won the contract for catering for the 50,000 people who were expected to attend.
"I was here when it started to rain and a river ran straight through the main catering tent and formed a lake outside. I think the show committee made the right decision when it was cancelled," he said.
"It made the Barbra Streisand event look like a teddy bears' picnic."
Mr Smullen said he was disappointed for the 100 people he had hired to work at the show and he was now facing losses because a lot of fresh food prepared for the event would have to be dumped.
The Tullamore Show was revived in the 1990s and has become the largest agricultural show in the country, also replacing the old RDS Spring Show as the foremost livestock event.
Tullamore will host the All Ireland Fleadh Cheol next weekend, and the Charleville Castle site, which has been designated as the official camping site for that event, is expected to be ready as it does not form part of the show site.
At the end of September the town will also host the National Ploughing Championships.