*Donald Trump. Photograph: Julian Behal
FORMER US PRESIDENT, Donald Trump is to visit Co Clare at the end of August.
A major security operation has commenced in preparation of Trump’s trip to the county, his first since 2019.
Definitive dates have yet to be set but the seventy six year old is expected to stay at his Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Doonbeg Ireland and will fly into Shannon Airport via private jet, The Irish Mirror have reported.
His visit is set to last two days and will be sometime between August 25th and August 30th with the 45th President of the US visiting his five star Doonbeg resort to play some golf. His entourage is to include members of the Trump family.
With Trump no longer holding office, it will not be an official visit but plenty of Garda checkpoints are to be set up from Shannon to Ennis onto the Kilrush Rd towards Kilmihil, Cooraclare, Cree and Doonbeg. Secret service protection will be liaising with Gardaí and top brass security officials in the lead-up to the trip.
Trump’s connection with Doonbeg has made the West Clare area commonly discussed at a national and international level. Its references in conversation have dropped since Joe Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election.
His 2019 visit saw great fanfare in the Long Village with his sons Eric and Donald Jnr buying pints for visitors and locals while completing a mini pub-crawl. The family used the opportunity to thank the people of Doonbeg for their support and welcoming environment.
COVID-19 closures and restrictions resulted in pre-tax losses more than doubling at the Trump’s Doonbeg five-star resort to €3.59m last year.
Accounts filed in November for the company behind the luxury Trump Doonbeg resort, TIGL Ireland Enterprises Ltd recorded the surge in pre-tax losses as revenues tumbled by 68.6% or €8.23m from €11.99m to €3.76m last year. The pre-tax loss of €3.59m for 2020 follows a pre-tax loss of €1.37m for 2019 – a rise of 162%. The pre-tax loss last year takes account of hefty non-cash depreciation and amortisation charges of €1.6m.
