DESPITE REPORTS TODAY that Donald Trump had cancelled his planned trip to Ireland, it looks like Clare may still be getting a visit from the presumptive GOP nominee.
Addressing the rumours this afternoon, his spokesperson said:
It is purely a scheduling issue and we still hope to make a stop in Ireland if time allows. The details of Mr. Trump’s itinerary have not been finalised.
Currently, the businessman-turned-politician’s itinerary includes a flight to Prestwick on Thursday 23 June followed by a flight to Aberdeen two days later. He is due to return to New York that same day.
Trump announced via Twitter earlier this month that he would stop over in Ireland as part of the visit, after earlier confirming a transatlantic trip to check in on his golf course business interests in Scotland.
It is now unclear whether the Republican will visit his county Clare resort and golf course at Doonbeg. Its general manager told RTÉ that he was awaiting communication from the family.
However, TheJournal.ie understands no events were booked for Shannon Airport by the Trump campaign in the weeks after the initial announcement.
The Co Clare airport would be the most likely landing spot for the billionaire’s private jet, if he intended to visit Doonbeg. It was also the scene of a much-publicised visit in 2014, when the Trump family were given a red carpet welcome, complete with traditional singers and a tarmac greeting from finance minister Michael Noonan.
The ‘other’ wall
The New York businessman picked up the Doonbeg resort (since renamed the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland) for a knockdown price of €15 million back in 2014.
During that initial visit he said he planned to “at least double or triple” that investment in years to come, and promised to work closely with environmental authorities on the redevelopment of the Greg Norman-designed course, which was badly damaged in winter storms over recent years.
His efforts to have a sea wall built along the nearby dunes have generated some local and international media attention since then. The deadline for submissions to Clare County Council on the project closed this week, with an analysis showing many local groups are fully behind the plan.
However, there have also been indications Trump’s interest in his Irish investment is waning.
Since his entry to the race for the White House the real estate developer has dismissed the resort as “small potatoes” and said he’s happy for his adult children to run it and “have fun with it”.
An anti-Trump umbrella protest group made up of political parties and campaign groups, including the AAA-PBP, the Greens and the Irish Anti War Movement, have been planning protests in Dublin and Ennis to coincide with the politician’s visit.
Speaking on Today with Sean O’Rourke this morning, AAA-PBP TD Paul Murphy said he had a meeting scheduled later today to discuss the protests, and that he would keep an eye on the status of the mooted visit.
With reporting by Daragh Brophy
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