“I have to do a lot of ploughing these days,” Enda Kenny said trying to manoeuvre a horse plough. “It’s the not plough you have to worry about,” an onlooker shouted, “It’s the harrow!”

A few high-fives, a few “howya nows” and not to mention a few “get that child in the photo” were common place for An Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s tour of the 2014 National Ploughing Championships.

A frazzled Kenny partook in the usual Taoiseach activities at the Ploughing. There was the obligatory picture with the horse ploughs as well as the high fives with anyone that moved, all of which took place just a few short hours after he landed from a trip to America for United Nations’ discussions on climate change.

Enda was in full vote-getting mode. The reshuffle is over. He has taken a punt on putting the overly ambitious and, perhaps too, straight-talking Leo Varadkar on being the not-so secret weapon for seeing Fine Gael lead the next government.

Enda was tired but committed to pressing the flesh. Despite the blatant attempt to procure votes for a general election sometime in the next 18 months, make no bones about, Kenny was the superstar of the 800 acres. All ages across the spectrum were drawn to him like a moth to light – not sure why you’re doing it but you are drawn towards it.

“Enda, Enda,” one middle-aged fan roared desperate for a handshake from the Islandeady Idol. Kenny duly obliged with a wink and a tip of the brow.

“That’s the Taoiseach! Come on, we’ll get our picture taken with him,” one schoolgirl said to her compatriot. No pictorial evidence of their meeting was recorded but a now famous Kenny high-five will mean that girl was unlikely to wash her hand for at least the rest of the day.

There was also a “pelfie” (a ploughing selfie) at the Department of Agriculture with a group of pre-voters as well as a set of autographs at the ESB stand. All left satisfied with their day’s work.

Day three of the Ploughing buzzed and heaved with bounds of unbridled energy. North of 70,000 ploughing patrons meant confirmed that Ploughing 2014 was the most attended to date. A total of 279,500 walked the fields of Ratheniska. Will we have a third tour for Enda of the rolling plains of Laois? We will know in a few weeks.

The underlying question as Kenny did his tour was “I wonder if Leo is harder to manage than the horse and plough?”