Ireland readies for Trump visit

Pictured outside the Dáil gates on Kildare Street in Dublin are Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Leader of the Green Party Eamon Ryan and others preparing for a protest against this week’s visit to Ireland by President Donald Trump. The protest will take place in Dublin on Thursday, June 6. RollingNews.ie photo.

 

By Irish Echo Staff

Ireland is readying for this week’s visit by President Donald Trump, a two-leg affair with a stop on Wednesday, June 5, and a second leg which will conclude with the president’s reported return to County Clare on the evening of the 6th and flight back to Washington out of Shannon Airport on Friday, June 7.

In advance of his Irish visit, during which he will hold talks with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Shannon Airport, the president told reporters that he would meet with “a lot of the Irish officials.”

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Trump told RTÉ’s Brian O’Donovan in Washington that he was “looking forward to” his one-night stay on June 5.

Reports, meanwhile, have pointed to a second night’s stay at Doonbeg on the 6th.

“We’re going to be staying in Doonbeg in Ireland because it’s convenient and because it’s a great place, but it’s convenient,” Trump said.

“We’ll be meeting with a lot of the Irish officials, and it’ll be an overnight stay and I look forward to that.”

The Irish Times reported that when asked about what he will be discussing with Mr. Varadkar, the president replied: “A lot of different issues.”

The president and first lady Melania Trump will arrive in Shannon at the end of their three day state visit to Britain and before they head for France and D-Day 75th anniversary ceremonies in Normandy on June 6.

Mr. Trump is expected to play golf at his Doonbeg course and the West Clare village is decked out in flags and bunting in advance of the presidential visit.

Shannon Airport will be the point of arrival and departure for the Trumps.

A spokesperson for Shannon Airport said that it will be business as usual at the airport during the visit

However passengers travelling to the airport are being advised to allow an additional fifteen minutes extra travel time for the duration of the president’s visit as additional security measures will be in place on the approach road to the airport and car parks from now until Friday 7th June.

The spokesperson added: “All visitors to the airport during the period are advised to have photo ID, and intending passengers should have photo ID and valid flight documentation available.

“If passengers have any concerns about the departure time of their flight, they are advised to contact their airline. As always we would like to thank our valued customers for flying Shannon.”

While President Trump will be welcomed by the Irish government, and for sure the residents of Doonbeg, protests are also being planned, including one in Dublin on the 6th.

Not surprisingly, the group Democrats Abroad Ireland is readying to join the protest.

In a statement, DAI said it was “pleased to support the “Stand Up to Trump” protest on June 6, sponsored by the Stop Trump Ireland Coalition.

“Democrats Abroad is the official Democratic Party arm for the millions of Americans living outside the United States. We strive to provide Americans abroad a Democratic voice in our government and elect Democratic candidates by mobilizing the overseas vote,” the statement said.

The Dublin protest will be taking placed at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square.

Chair of Democrats Abroad Ireland, David Derby, said: “If one agrees that in general the political scene is a mess and that it is critical for the wellbeing of the United States, and indeed the rest of the world, that change must take place in the governance of the United States.

“Not only as decent people do we have the right to vote and protest injustice but arguably we have the duty to vote and advocate with passion and enthusiasm for change.”

President Trump’s talks at Shannon Airport with Leo Varadkar, while certain to be cordial, will likely shine light on issues over which the Irish government and the Trump Administration disagree.

Not least among these is Brexit and the future of relations between the United States and the European Union.

 

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