President Trump and Taoiseach Varadkar during their White House meeting in March. RollingNews.ie photo.
By Irish Echo Staff
After several weeks of uncertainty it has been confirmed that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit Ireland in early June.
And while final details of the visit have yet to be confirmed it has been revealed that the president will hold talks with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Shannon Airport.
There had been reports of a debate between the White House and the Irish government over the venue for the meeting, Dublin preferring Dromoland Castle in County Clare, this for protocol reasons, and the president more inclined to a meeting at his golf club in Doonbeg, County Clare.
Shannon would appear to be a compromise.
“We welcome the announcement of the visit by the U.S. President. Detailed arrangements around the visit will be made public in due course,” said a statement from the Irish government released through the Irish Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Said a statement from the White House: “President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have accepted the invitation of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of Ireland to visit Ireland while they are in Europe for a state visit to the United Kingdom and for events in the United Kingdom and France to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The President and Taoiseach will hold a bilateral meeting in Shannon on 5 June.”
The Wednesday, June 5 Trump/Varadkar sit down at Shannon will follow after President and Mrs. Trump complete a state visit to Britain.
The Trump visit to Ireland is not an official or state affair. Rather, the president is using Doonbeg as his base of operations. The first couple will stay at Doonbeg on the night of the 5th.
After the Irish stop, the presidential party will fly to France for the D-Day ceremonies.
The Trumps will then return to Ireland and head back to the U.S. from Shannon, which is about forty miles from Doonbeg.
Trump’s impending visit had already prompted increased security at Shannon Airport, with gardaí deployed at a road security box monitoring traffic on a 24-hour basis, the news website Journal.ie was reporting today.
The visit has caused a scramble for the estimated 600 rooms that would be needed for the arrival of the president, his entourage and press.
U.S. officials and Secret Service agents have been making advance preparation for a Trump Irish visit for several weeks.
