National Ploughing Association managing director Anna May McHugh says she is "very disappointed" the European Union's agriculture commissioner has not accepted an invitation to the World Ploughing Championships next month.
Commissioner Marianne Fischer Boel's intention to attend the Ryder Cup golf competition but not the World Ploughing Championships three days later was "unfortunate" and a surprising choice considering the commissioner's position, Ms McHugh said.
The EU Commission office in Dublin confirmed that the commissioner would be attending the golfing event in a private capacity and her diary commitments would not allow attendance at the ploughing event.
The ploughing championships start in Tullow on September 27th. Ms McHugh said there would be representatives from 28 countries at the event. "We will have our President, Mary McAleese, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, over the days involved," she said.
"There will also be many ambassadors from the 28 countries coming here. Her decision not to come is even more disappointing especially as there is a large official EU stand here at the event."
Ms McHugh said Ms Fischer Boel had been invited to the event as it was taking place close both in terms of location and time to the Ryder Cup tournament. She understood the commissioner had a very tight schedule internationally and that was the reason given for her non-attendance.
Ms McHugh, who has made the National Ploughing Championships the largest agricultural outdoor event of its kind in Europe and the largest agricultural event in Ireland, said it was even more unfortunate because the world championships would not be held in Ireland again until 2020.
More than 150,000 people are expected to visit the Tullow, Co Carlow, site where the national and world championships are being held from September 27th-30th.