Planning is under way for a visit by US president Donald Trump to Ireland in September, during which he would take in the Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf resort in Co Clare and likely attend engagements in Dublin.
A visit has not been confirmed by the White House but the Government is making preparations in the expectation that it will go ahead, according to four people involved in or familiar with discussions on the subject.
Trump, a keen golfer, is expected will visit Doonbeg and could possibly play in a pro-am tournament that takes place the day before the Irish Open, a DP World Tour event, begins on September 9th.
Officials believe Trump may also visit Dublin, where it has been suggested he could turn the sod for the new US embassy, which is to be built on the former Jury’s Hotel site in Ballsbridge.
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US authorities are understood to have discussed the possibility with the Irish Embassy in Washington, while one source also said Eric Trump, the president’s son, had been in contact with Irish officials.
The sources, who spoke to The Irish Times on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the subject, said a Trump visit was expected, but that nothing had been confirmed at this stage and was unlikely to be for some weeks.
One person said it was “likely but not definite” that the US president would arrive in September. Either way, officials are already beginning to scope out the diplomatic and security requirements that would have to surround such an event.
One scheduling difficulty is that the Irish Open is scheduled to take place between September 9th and 13th, which would clash with the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the US.
In a recorded video message played at the US ambassador’s Independence Day celebrations at his residence in the Phoenix Park in Dublin on Wednesday, Trump said: “You know, I have a beautiful place over there, it’s one of the best, most beautiful golf courses anywhere in the world.”
He added: “We have a place that’s so top, and we have the Irish Open going to be there and we’re going to have a tremendous celebration. I think I’m going to come over and I think I’m going to see it and we’re going to watch Rory [McIlroy] and all the great players.”
The Taoiseach has previously insisted that Trump would be welcome to Ireland to attend the Irish Open and the US president has repeatedly expressed a desire to do so, including when Taoiseach Micheál Martin visited Washington in March to mark St Patrick’s Day.
Trump has visited the Co Clare resort several times since he bought it in 2014, including in 2019 during his first term as president.
During that visit, then taoiseach Leo Varadkar met Trump at Shannon Airport. However, if Trump comes to Dublin, it would be usual to meet the Taoiseach at Government Buildings and visit President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Connolly has been a fierce critic of Trump, but said during last year’s election campaign that she would meet the US president if he visited Ireland as part of her duty.
A visit by the US president would almost certainly attract significant protests, especially if he travelled to Dublin and attended events in the city.
