An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will not attend this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois.

The three-day event, starting tomorrow, will also not see the attendance of Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.

The only one of the three coalition Government leaders to do so, Tánaiste Micheál Martin will make an appearance on Thursday.

Clash

Ploughing 2023 has clashed with the United Nations General Assembly in New York and all three party leaders have flown stateside to attend.

The National Ploughing Championships kick off on Tuesday. \ Philip Doyle

The Taoiseach is caught up in a series of events in the US during each day of the Ploughing, between New York and Miami, and will not be attending before proceedings conclude in Ratheniska on Thursday evening. Similarly, Minister Eamon Ryan will not be flying home to make any part of the event.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin is understood to be leaving New York to fly to Dublin early Thursday morning and will be travelling to the Ploughing from there.

While there will be poor attendance from the political heavy hitters at this year’s event, a number of cabinet Ministers will be showing face.

President

President Michael D Higgins will also be in attendance on Tuesday, where he will visit the traditional ploughing fields and officially open proceedings on the main stage at 1pm.