Donald Trump does Doonbeg – but in a far more low-key way than we’ve come to expect

Donald Trump had to be content with six people waiting for him at the gate and around 50 to 60 gardaí on duty, as he arrived at his golf course in Doonbeg, Co Clare, last night for a 24-hour visit.

“Not so much as at a match in Thurles,” said one garda. “We’d have more than that at a Munster final.”

The people of Doonbeg made this ‘west Clare hotelier’ welcome

It was a far cry from 2019 when Trump arrived with all the pomp of the office and the weight of the US presidential seal.

This time, he carried the combined weight of an ongoing rape trial and fraud lawsuit.

Still, the people of Doonbeg made this “west Clare hotelier” welcome with a reception at the hotel attended by members of the local business community.

Trump was expected to reach Doonbeg by 6pm – but it was past 8pm when we finally heard the drone of an incoming chopper, which proved to be the garda helicopter monitoring proceedings overhead.

The man himself came by in a motorcade, led by garda outriders over the bumpy bogland roads.

As the vehicles made their way up the long and winding drive to Doonbeg on a blustery bright evening, we caught a glimpse of a wide Hollywood white smile of Eric Trump, his son – but the blacked-out windows prevented any view of the former president.

On arrival, he was whisked straight into his hotel, where vans blocked the entrance to a private courtyard as he was greeted by senior hotel staff.

He did not stop to speak to reporters who were assembled.

There was lively west Clare trad music by the Browne brothers – Colm, Seán and Liam from Cree, Co Clare.

And there was accompanying set dancing by 25 young dancers from the Hell for Leather dance troupe from the John Fennell Dance School, who received an invitation from the Trump family.

Amongst them was James Downes (12) from nearby Crusheen, who has been dancing since the age of five and who was brought up to the hotel by his mother, Catherine.

Asked if he was nervous, James said: “Not really,” adding that he was looking forward to the event.

Garda members from the Armed Support Unit were on standby ahead of Trump’s arrival at Shannon Airport, while what appeared to be members of the US Secret Service were seen arriving in black cars near the entrance to the airport’s apron.

Earlier, preparations were under way at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel, with heightened security visible to all.

There was an increased garda presence on the beaches and roads around the golf course. Armed units on quad bikes patrolled the nearby Doughmore Beach, as road policing units were seen driving on routes to and from nearby towns.

Gardaí on motorbikes and a dog unit were also seen waiting at Trump’s resort.

Today, Trump is expected to play a round of golf before returning to the US where his legal woes still await him.

The US Embassy has described it as a private visit and said that, as with all former presidents, they have no role in it – as Donald Trump is now a private citizen, though security staff from the embassy in Dublin are understood to play a role during the visit.

‘It was all a bottle of smoke. Nobody ended up in jail’

All staff at the golf resort, as well as those local people who are expected to meet him, have been security checked in advance.

Liam Ryan of the Coastal Protection Group in Doonbeg was amongst those lined up to meet the former president, earlier saying that having had a chat with him on the beach last time, he found him to be “totally different to the person he is on television”.

He hoped to speak with him about the ongoing worries about the sand dunes at Doonbeg.

Indeed, the Irish environmental protection group, Friends of the Irish Environment issued an invitation to the former president to attend a High Court case over sand trap fencing at his resort.

They urged him to “stay on in Ireland until May 15” when the case is due to be heard by the High Court.

Seoirse Comerford from Comerford’s pub in the village said they were hoping that the Trumps would come down to the village, just as they did the last time they visited, when they bought rounds for all the customers.

“Well, that’s what we’re hoping will happen,” he said with a smile.

The last visit in 2019 had reaped dividends for Doonbeg, he said, with a large influx of American tourists arriving in Co Clare who had not previously visited Ireland.

“It’s just a pity Covid came along to ruin it,” he added.

Asked if those US tourists had been Trump supporters, Mr Comerford said: “They’re not talking politics when they come here and we don’t ask. You never bring politics up in conversation with them. They’re here to spend money, and they do.”

Outside the gates as the reception took place were several keen fans of Trump.

Con Cremin from Limerick was hoping he might stop to say hello, while Paul Markham from Kilmurry, Co Cork, described Trump as a good Christian who has brought great employment to the area.

“There is an atmosphere about the man. He has a presence,” he said.

Mr Markham went on to dismiss the controversy of the ex-president’s trials, saying: “We’ve had that in Ireland, and it was all a bottle of smoke. Nobody ended up in jail.”