By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-09-12 18:06:28 | Updated at 2026-09-12 18:45:36
45 minutes ago
DUBLIN—U.S. President Donald Trump landed in the Irish capital on Saturday for a two-day tour of the island nation, combining diplomacy and sports as he chatted with local leaders before attending the Irish Open golf tournament.
The president was greeted by Irish Tánaiste Simon Harris and Foreign Minister Helen McEntee at Dublin Airport. The motorcade then raced through town to Phoenix Park, the largest public park in a European capital city and the home base for some of Ireland’s key political figures.
Irish President Catherine Connolly greeted Trump at Áras an Uachtaráin, the president’s residence. Elected last year, Connolly was among a group of protesters who met the president’s cavalcade at Shannon Airport when he visited in 2019.
Their interactions Saturday were short and cordial, with Connolly gifting Trump a St. Brigid’s Cross, a sixth-century Latin text known as the Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis, and poems from Belfast’s Michael Longley.
“She was terrific,” Trump said during a press conference later. “We talked about a lot of different things. We talked about the greatness of the people, but it was an Irish aide to General George Washington who first used the term the United States of America.”
He inspected rows of Ireland’s military honor guard and signed the guest book before departing to Farmleigh House for bilateral discussions with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and a talk to business leaders at the U.S. ambassador’s residence at Deerfield.
Ireland’s trade deficit with the United States was a key topic of discussion, including the pharmaceutical industry imbalance that benefits the Emerald Isle.
“You took all of our medical companies. We got to get a couple of them back,” Trump said. “You people did very well. You fleeced us, but that’s okay.”
The president thanked the Irish officials for their welcome and talked of his adoration for the nation.
“I like it because it’s special people,” Trump said, noting the island’s reputation for world-class hospitality and determined spirit. “People love coming to Ireland … because they love you.”
On Ireland unifying with its northern neighbor, he weighed in cautiously.
“That’s one of those questions where no matter what you say, no matter how well you say it, there’s no good answer,” Trump said, while noting he has friends on both sides and that Martin is capable of overseeing the unification.
The Taoiseach honored the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, with his introductory greeting to Trump, the 25th anniversary falling the day before.
“It had a deep impact in Ireland at the time,” Martin said. “And we'll always remember the incredible courage, bravery, and sacrifice of the first responders, the firefighters, the NYPD authority, people who put themselves in harm’s way, sacrificed their lives to try and save their lives and their fellow citizens. In many ways, it remains inspirational to the entire world, the bravery of those American first responders.”
President Donald Trump reviews Ireland's honor guard at Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin, Ireland, on Sept. 12, 2026. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times
He noted the unique sporting ties that bind Ireland and the United States, including professional golf and the Ryder Cup, college and amateur athletics, and international diplomacy efforts announced by Ireland’s minister of foreign affairs and trade in March, calling the connections “huge.”
“What we’re here to do is to promote U.S. and Ireland relationships,” Martin said. “The president coming here just shows that that relationship is stronger than ever.”
Trump will spend the weekend watching the DP World Tour Amgen Irish Open at his Doonbeg Golf resort. Ireland’s Shane Lowry shares the lead with Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen at 13-under-par on Saturday, with nine holes left to play before the final round on Sunday.
Thousands of law enforcement officials representing various agencies were seen spread across Ireland’s capital on Saturday. Authorities described the security operation as its most complex in history.
