Imagine - ploughing as an Olympic sport! The mind may boggle but the campaign has begun and the Taoiseach is a supporter. He wouldn't, however, sign the impromptu Olympic petition promoted by RTE's Ear to the Ground programme. "I'm not allowed sign anything," he quipped.
But Bertie thinks ploughing "is a lot more relevant than some of the sports we've been watching, particularly fellows of 10 stone trying to pick up 100 stone, which I think is physically impossible.
"I've even ploughed with horses, which is more than a lot of people round here can say," he said proudly while surveying the media circle around him during a whirlwind tour in horrendous rain of some 15 stands and pavilions.
Bertie had ploughed in All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin, no less - where his father was farm manager. "My father ploughed with horses until he was 80 years of age. He retired when he was 80 . . . just like I will myself, I think!"
He was well able to plough the furrows of pop music too. He was asked about news that New Musical Express magazine had described boy band Westlife's latest single Against All Odds as the "worst single of all time".
"I suppose if somebody doesn't like them, it obviously hurts them. Westlife have now got six straight number ones," he said - his daughter Cecilia goes out with one of the group.
"They've done better than the Beatles ever dreamt of and I suppose if you don't like them you feel a bit envious. But I think they're great and I hope they keep on going with the success they have."
Back on farming, and things agricultural seemed second nature to the Drumcondra man, who pointed out that his sister was still in the business. And he certainly blended in, with his wax jacket and green wellies as he moved through the crowds at speed. He fitted in so well a lot of people didn't even realise who it was until after he'd passed by. "Jeez look, there's Bertie," said one young lad as the Taoiseach whisked past. "Where? Was that him? I can't see him," said the other, craning his neck in an attempt to locate him.
When the tour was over it was back to the media and a kiss for Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister, Ms Brid Rodgers, who had just walked in: the first Northern Minister to attend Ireland's biggest agricultural event.
She signed the Olympic ploughing petition as did the National Ploughing Association's Anna May McHugh, maestro of the championships, and Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh. Earlier though, he confessed he was "not switched on by the ploughing - although it is a great occasion".
