US President Donald Trump flew to Ireland under tight security on Saturday for two days of diplomacy and golf, blurring the lines between his government and personal business interests.
At least 4,000 police and other people, including snipers, have been mobilized for the visit, which has been described as one of Ireland’s largest security operations ever.
Trump spoke briefly to reporters on the tarmac before his aircraft to Dublin, saying, “We’re having a lot of meetings with European leaders and others, so it’ll be a very interesting time.”
Thousands of anti-Trump protestors are expected to assemble in Dublin, where the US president will hold separate talks with Ireland’s taoiseach (prime minister), Micheal Martin, and President Catherine.
Trump will then fly to his luxury property in Doonbeg, on Ireland’s west coast, where some of the world’s best golfers are competing in the Irish Open competition.
The golf-obsessed president—whose loose relationship with the game’s rules was highlighted by sports journalist Rick Reilly in the 2019 book “Commander in Cheat”—may even present the trophy on Sunday.
“He’s really just visiting the golf resort he owns and dropping into Dublin for a courtesy visit,” Daniel Geary, a US history professor at Trinity College Dublin, told AFP.
“He sees little difference between his private interests and his role as president.”
Since his second term as president began in January 2025, the 80-year-old billionaire has openly marketed his family’s golf business.
Last summer, he hosted former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Union leader Ursula von der Leyen at his luxurious Turnberry resort on Scotland’s west coast.
Trump then opened another golf course bearing his name in Balmedie, near Aberdeen on Scotland’s northeast coast.
“He certainly sends a message that he is passionately interested in his own family’s business,” University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter said ahead of the Ireland trip.
“It’s not going to help the Republican party in the midterms to have the president… promote his golf courses for the super-wealthy when other people are having trouble making ends meet,” the expert on government ethics added.
The security effort for Trump’s visit is expected to cost Ireland 20 million euros ($23 million), and it comes as the country is already dealing with a large policing operation for its six-month chairmanship of the EU.
Trump’s visit to Doonbeg, an isolated beachfront resort in County Clare that the Trump Organization purchased in 2014, complicates the security efforts.
Over the weekend, over 40,000 fans are anticipated to attend the tournament, which will include six-time major winner and current world number two Rory McIlroy in the main draw.
McIlroy, who has played golf with Trump, told the BBC this week that the game will seem “different” with the US president present, but that the players will just “keep our heads down and play.”
After landing in Dublin on Air Force One, Trump will meet Irish leader Martin, whom he has entertained twice in the Oval Office and appears to get along with.
The Middle East, especially America’s and Israel’s assault on Iran, as well as US tariffs on EU pharmaceuticals and immigration, are expected to be on the agenda.
Ireland and the United States have always been strong allies, thanks in part to their shared ancestry.
However, the Irish government’s views differ dramatically from that of the Trump administration on many subjects, including its sympathy for the Palestinians.
Ireland is one of several nations, including Spain, the United Kingdom, and France, that have established a trade boycott on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Connolly, who serves primarily ceremonially as president, is a left-winger and ardent critic of Trump, setting the stage for a potentially tense first meeting.
“Martin is experienced enough that it should be fine at the political level. The big uncertainty is President Connolly,” Eoin O’Malley, a political scientist at Dublin City University, told AFP.
“She protested against his last visit (in 2019), and her supporters will expect her to make some show for them. But she’s also aware that she cannot do or say anything that might inflict damage on the relationship.
“I expect it will be short and courteous.”
