Trump’s Ireland visit puts diplomacy, Gaza and security in focus
The US president is meeting Ireland’s political leaders in Dublin before an expected visit to his golf resort in County Clare.
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Ireland for a two-day visit focused on meetings with the country’s political leaders and a planned appearance at the Irish Open in County Clare.
Trump held a courtesy call with President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the Irish president. A meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin was scheduled for Saturday morning, followed by events at the US ambassador’s residence in Phoenix Park.
Trump is then expected to travel to Doonbeg for the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Doonbeg, which he owns. He said in July that he hoped to attend the tournament, citing his interest in seeing Rory McIlroy and other players.
The visit carries a political dimension beyond its formal itinerary. Connolly has criticised Trump’s tariff policies and is an outspoken Gaza activist. Sinn Féin and other parties that supported her presidential campaign have urged her to raise Gaza and wider Middle East issues with the US president.
Martin has described the visit as an opportunity to discuss shared interests and reaffirm the economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between Ireland and the United States. The supplied material does not report the outcome of his scheduled meeting with Trump.
Irish authorities have prepared a major security operation, with protests expected in Dublin and Doonbeg. Trump was greeted at Dublin Airport by Tánaiste Simon Harris and Foreign Minister Helen McEntee. It is his third visit to the Republic, following trips in 2019 and 2023.
