Trump has a scheduling conflict. Golf in Ireland or 9/11 ceremonies?
“We have a place that's so top and we have the Irish Open going to be there. They call it Trump National, we sometimes use the name of the location, but it'sTrump National Golf Club…” Pres. Trump. 2 July 2026 (Photo by Bill Gallagher)
While Ireland waits
Will he, or won’t he?
Topic number one in West County Clare is the Amgen Irish Open and whether the President of the United States, who owns the resort where the golf tournament will be played September 10 to 13, will attend.
Any time POTUS stops off in Ireland it’s a big deal. In Ireland at least. In the U.S., such a visit two months from now would be a blip on the news cycle screen. Especially since Trump would be there during the weekend of the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.
Trump himself teased his possible appearance at the Open during a video played at a Fourth of July reception for hundreds of Irish friends of the USA in Dublin.
“I think I’m going to come over, and I’m going to see it. We’re going to watch Rory [McIlroy] and all the great players. We're going to have a tremendous celebration. It'll be something very, very special." Trump told attendees at the U.S. Embassy on July 2.
Irish Open, or 9/11?
How about both?
The new Air Force One should have no problem getting the President back home from West Clare in time for whatever ceremony he plans to attend on September 11. The Open starts on Thursday Sept. 10. If he leaves from Shannon Airport by mid-morning Friday, he can take advantage of the five-hour time difference and be back on the East Coast by mid-afternoon.
Mission accomplished.
What about protests?
Various polls have shown that about thirty per cent of the Irish people approve of Trump’s presidency and 70% do not. Those polls weren’t taken in West Clare where the President is popular. It’s been reliably estimated that his operation in Doonbeg plays a major role in the local economy.
This s from the PHS website on September 23, 2025.His golf course and hotel operation has been called “the most economically important business in West Clare” by people who should know. There are about 250 employees on site, from those who sell the $25,000 memberships to those who serve the drinks or cook the food, clean the rooms or park the cars. Then there are the local suppliers who deliver food and drink and other service industry essentials. Don’t forget those who grow the produce and raise the livestock. The population of Doonbeg, according to the 2022 census, is 275.” 70,000 golf fans are expected to attend the Irish Open.The golf course and hotel are the straws that stir the drinks in Doonbeg.
On a local radio station (Clare FM) this morning (July 7), Joe Russell, the manager of the Trump property, was asked about the possibility of protests.
“I think it would be disingenuous to assume that there’s not going to be some form of protest...people’s rights protest...but the Gardai are well-equipped to deal with that...we’ll leave it to them,” said Russell. (Gardai are officers of the national police force in Ireland.)
Protestors unfamiliar with West Clare will find that the golf course and resort are pretty remote.
Trump’s man in Ireland is his son
For more information about the Trump operation in Ireland and the man wo runs it, Eric Trump, check out this article on our website: Eric Trump and Ireland: Why he loves it so much. His connection to County Cavan is a strong one for a surprising reason: His nanny.
