Taoiseach Simon Harris will travel to Paris this morning where he will attend a series of engagements as part of the Olympic Games.
He will then meet with members of Team Ireland at the Olympic Village and will also attend a summit of world leaders and dignitaries at the Louvre.
A total of 133 Irish athletes are competing this year and an estimated 25,000 spectators from Ireland are expected to attend the games.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Harris said that he will be taking the opportunity to “thank the families of our athletes and all those in support roles that have helped them reach the very top of their sport”.
It is 100 years since Paris last hosted the Olympic games and a century since Ireland first competed in the competition as an independent nation.
After meeting with Irish athletes Mr Harris will attend a summit at the Carrousel du Louvre, hosted by French President Emanuel Macron and the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach.
Afterwards, leaders will attend a dinner at the Louvre Museum.
The event will focus on the role of sport in helping to achieve sustainable development goals and is supported by the French development agency, Agence française de développement.
Official engagements will continue throughout the course of the Taoiseach’s visit.
Tomorrow, the Taoiseach and his wife Caoimhe will attend another meeting of world leaders at the Elysee Palace, hosted by French President Emanuel Macron.
The opening ceremony to the Paris Olympics gets under way tomorrow evening and will take place along the River Seine.
It is estimated by Olympic organisers that the ceremony will be watched by hundreds of millions of people across the world.