Huge protests set to overshadow Trump’s golfing trip to Ireland: ‘We don’t want him here’

Trump Makes Brief Visit to Ireland for Golf Event, Meetings and Protests Planned

Nine months before Donald Trump’s first election as US president in 2016, he described a golf course he had bought on Ireland’s Atlantic coast as “small potatoes” compared with other interests. The property in Doonbeg, County Clare, is now the site of his first trip to Ireland as president since 2019. Protests have been announced for the two-day visit that begins on Saturday.

Irish authorities expect roughly 4,000 security personnel from Irish and US agencies to be deployed. Costs have been reported at €20 million. The schedule includes meetings in Dublin with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President Catherine Connolly at Phoenix Park, followed by travel to Shannon and then Doonbeg to attend the conclusion of the Irish Open at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel. Departure is scheduled for Sunday evening.

A poll conducted by the Sunday Independent and Ireland Thinks reported that 69 per cent of respondents did not support the visit. Organizers from several political groups, advocacy organizations and individuals have stated they will hold demonstrations in Dublin and Doonbeg. Their public statements cite the president’s foreign policy positions, domestic record and personal conduct as reasons for opposition.

When asked about the planned protests, Trump told reporters he had not observed any during travel in Ireland and described relations between the United States and Ireland as strong and economically beneficial to both countries, though he noted differing levels of advantage. He characterized any protest as likely small and friendly.

Sarah Clancy, a community worker based in Clare, told The Independent that participants view the visit as an occasion to express disagreement with several administration policies, including support for Israel in Gaza, the conflict with Iran and its effects on energy prices, and the tone of public statements by the president. She described Trump as a person whose positions on race, gender and sexual orientation conflict with values she associates with Ireland. Clancy said preparations for the weekend events had been under way for months and that some participants regard attendance as a priority within certain political circles. She added that anger exists over what she called a focus on conflict and that many see the president as an authoritarian figure.

Journalist and author Justine McCarthy stated she plans to join demonstrations in Doonbeg. She listed three reasons: her view of Trump as a sex offender based on a 2023 civil court finding, US policy toward Gaza and the conflict with Iran, and the president’s past statements on climate change. The 2023 case was a civil proceeding in which a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse; because it was not a criminal conviction, he is not registered as a sex offender. McCarthy said the visibility of the protests to observers outside Ireland mattered more to her than whether the president personally noticed them.

Academic and activist Ailbhe Smyth described an obligation felt by some to register public disagreement. She said the events are expected to draw participants from across the political spectrum in Ireland, though not necessarily in joint marches, and that a broad consensus against the visit exists among those involved.

Irish government officials have described the trip as a non-state visit initiated by the president to attend the golf tournament. One official told Politico that the priority is to manage logistics in Dublin without disruption. Phoenix Park has been closed since Thursday and is scheduled to reopen Saturday evening after the president’s departure. Security measures include approximately 1,000 US Secret Service personnel, snipers and anti-drone equipment, according to reports in the Irish Times.

Labour Party MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said the red carpet should not be rolled out, citing the president’s record on European Union matters, international law, energy prices linked to the Iran conflict, positions on Ukraine, and policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party would participate in protests and expressed hope that President Connolly would raise events in Gaza and the West Bank during the Saturday meeting.

The main Dublin protest, organized under the name “No Welcome for Mr Trump,” is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday near the time of the president’s arrival and to proceed toward the Dáil. Additional gatherings are expected in Doonbeg. Joe Russell, general manager of the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg, told RTÉ that some demonstrations are anticipated in the village but that local police are prepared to handle them.

The visit occurs against a background of long-standing commercial ownership of the Doonbeg property by Trump. Irish and US officials have confirmed the itinerary focuses on the golf event and the two scheduled meetings in Dublin. No further public events have been announced.