AMERICAN tycoon and former President of the United States Donald Trump has approached Clare County Council with a view to turning the Cliffs of Moher into a golf course & hotel resort.
Trump’s wife Melania reportedly “fell in love” with the area on a recent visit and it’s understood the hotelier, whose family owns the prominent Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg, is interested in acquiring a two-mile section of the famous attraction between Moher and Liscannor. The section of cliffs under discussions would not affect the visitor entry point to the Cliffs Visitor Centre.
Sources say Trump has envisioned a five-star clubhouse that will resemble the White House while he has approached Tiger Woods to design the course. It’s understood he is exploring adding “many great and tremendous features” such as a wall on the 17th hole and a two-storey driving range facing outwards onto the Atlantic. He has enlisted the Doolin-based Irish Tow Rescue Club to collect stray golf balls that end up falling from the 700ft high course.
An advisor close to Trump told The Clare Echo that Trump believes it will be a major hit with the China tourism market, “The Donald is really passionate about this project. He believes tourists, particularly from China, would pay a high premium to experience golf on Ireland’s edge. It could be worth billions and billions and billions and billions to the MidWest.”
The local authority stopped short of confirming speculation, saying only, “Clare County Council does not comment on individual cases however we are committed to improving Clare’s tourist product and oh say can you see, we actively engage with relevant stakeholders and interested partiers, wink wink.”
*This article was first published on April 1, 2022.
