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Tag Archives: Doonbeg

Trump’s €6m Doonbeg wage bill

OVER €6 million was spent on staff costs at Trump International last year, while it employed an average of 213 people. While President Trump is very unpopular in Ireland, the Doonbeg business is now perhaps the most significant employer in West Clare, a region which has suffered from major economic disadvantage for many years. Today, West Clare is almost totally devoid of large industry, with Government agencies having no track record of bringing foreign direct investment to the region. However the recently filed accounts show that Trump International was employing an average of 213 people during the 12 months of 2017. It is understood that this number rises to around 300 during the summer. The accounts show that wages and salaries for the year came to €5,435,373, up from €4,719,000 in 2016. Social welfare costs were €576,146 for the year, up from €542,238 in 2016, giving total staff cost of €6,011,519. Although it was loss making in 2017, the Directors …

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Trump trip to Doonbeg could be off

NEWS has broken this afternoon that US President Donald Trump may not visit his resort in Doonbeg on November 12. While an official statement has yet to emerge from the White House, it seems that the visit, which was to coincide with a trip to Paris on November 11, may not now go ahead. The US President, who bought the golf resort in Doonbeg in 2014, was to have spent a day in Dublin before travelling to West Clare. News of his now cancelled visit was announced by the White House on Friday August 31. At the time the White House said that the trip was to “renew the deep and historic ties between our two nations”.

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‘He has far surpassed how bad I thought he could be’

WHEN Donald Trump comes to West Clare, one house he shouldn’t call to is Janet Burke’s, even though she is a fellow American abroad. Trump might not be a popular president anyway, but when Janet talks about him it is very clear her dislike of The Donald is very acute. Even when he was just a celebrity billionaire she didn’t care for him, and her attitude only hardened as the Trump presidential campaign proceeded, and Janet says his two years in office have been much worse than she feared. “Living through that election process, the things he was saying and the way he was behaving, at first it seemed like a joke. From the beginning it was terrifying to think that this man might get that job. He was so erratic, he was so divisive and hateful. “I was worried when he got it, but he has far surpassed how bad I thought he could be. I didn’t think he …

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President Trump likely to visit Doonbeg in November

US President, Donald Trump, is likely to visit Doonbeg this November. Informed sources have confirmed to The Clare Champion that President Trump’s visit to Ireland is very likely to involve a visit to the family-owned golf resort in West Clare. He last visited Doonbeg in May 2014, following the purchase of Trump International Golf Resort. On Friday night, The White House said that President Trump will visit this country, during a trip to Europe to “renew the deep and historic ties between our two nations”. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that the US President will be in Ireland for a “brief visit.” “It will be an opportunity to follow up on the issues discussed in the White House in March, including migration, trade, climate change and human rights issues,” the Government statement said. By Peter O’Connell

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Government under fire for “neglecting Kilkee and Kilrush”

  The Government has come under fire for “neglecting” two of the main West Clare towns – Kilkee and Kilrush. Michael Haugh from Doonbeg is keenly aware of impact of rural depopulation in West Clare, having seen the closure of Baltard National School in recent years. He believes that urgent action is needed to secure a major new industry for West Clare. “The Government has neglected towns like Kilkee and Kilrush. They are putting no new industry into these towns. “I have been to towns in Kerry where ministers like Dick Spring got in industries to places like Tralee and Killorglin. “What can be done to create jobs? A big factory should be brought into Kilrush. They have these factories in places like Killorglin, Kenmare and Cahersiveen but not in Clare. “Our problem is we don’t have a senior minister. Brendan Daly brought the Kilrush Creek Marina to Kilrush, nothing else has happened since then. “We need a big industry …

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West Clare schools battle for survival

DISTURBING new figures have revealed that the projected number of enrolments in seven West Clare schools, in just three years’ time, will just be sufficient to fill a single classroom. Additional statistics also found that there is significant decline in full time residents living in Doonbeg village, with only 41% of houses occupied permanently. According to information obtained by the Clare Champion, the combined influx of Junior Infants in the three most westerly parishes on the Loop Head Peninsula, Kilkee, Carrigaholt and Cross, will be just above 30 pupils in 2021. Co-parish priest of Kilkee, Cross, Carrigaholt and Doonbeg, Fr Gerry Kenny warns that more national school amalgamations will have to be considered in the peninsula, unless there is a dramatic increase in population. Fr Kenny expressed grave concern about the generation gap, pointing to the lack of young people in their 20s and 30s, settling down to live in West Clare. “While urbanisation will always be a factor, current …

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Eric Trump arrives in Doonbeg

ERIC Trump has arrived in Doonbeg and it is expected that he will be staying there for the few days. President Trump’s 34 year old son is understood to be visiting with a group of friends and as well as playing golf, some business is also on his agenda. Security personnel have been in the Doonbeg area for a few days already, making preparations for his arrival. “I have 60 ice creams sent up to him this morning,” said local retailer Rita McInerney early this afternoon. She said she was pleased that Eric was visiting and that the fact he is bringing friends here may result in further benefits for the area. Mr Trump’s visit comes at a time when Doonbeg is experiencing its highest temperatures for many years. On another recent visit of his the Long Village was battered by a storm which saw the hotel’s power going down, so he has certainly seen extremities during his trips to …

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Bathing restored at Whitestrand Doonbeg

  Clare County Council, on the advice of the HSE, has today (Friday lifted restrictions relating to public bathing at Whitestrand Doonbeg. Notices indicating that swimming is prohibited at the beach were originally put in place on Wednesday due to the detection of elevated levels of bacteria (e-coli) in the bathing water. On the advice of the HSE and following analysis of water samples taken on Wednesday and Thursday,the council announced the lifting of all restrictions relating to bathing at Whitestrand Doonbeg. The suspected source of the e-coli is run-off from surrounding land during heavy rainfall on Sunday evening and Monday morning. Clare County Council says bathing water testing protocols will continue throughout the bathing season. Meanwhile, lifeguard cover at Clare’s Blue Flag beaches, including Whitestrand Doonbeg, commences during the June Bank Holiday Weekend. Cover will continue on Saturdays and Sundays during the month of June. There will be full-time time cover at these locations, as well as at Bishops …

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