Tag Archives: Joe Russell

PLANS for a 28,000 tonne rock barrier to protect parts of the Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg have been hit by a fresh three-month delay. As a result, it is likely that a decision by Clare County Council on the planning application will not now be made until early next year. This follows the Trump family-owned firm, TIGL Ireland Enterprises Ltd seeking, and securing, a three-month extension from Clare County Council in which to respond to a raft of further information requests for the contentious plan to install a 28,000 tonne rock barrier to protect “as a matter of urgency” holes 1, 9 and 18 at the links course. The council requested the information across five pages in February and the golf resort’s deadline for replying is due to expire next Tuesday. However, ahead of the deadline, the resort has secured the extension to November 22 and the council will then have eight weeks in which to make a …

UNLESS rock armour protection is put in front of the sand dunes in Doughmore Beach, the Doonbeg golf course will eventually be rendered unusable. That’s the stark message from the golf resort general manager, Joe Russell. He was speaking following a two-day consultation, held in Doonbeg community hall this week, on a proposed coastal protection scheme. The golf course was extensively flooded in 2014 and some holes were closed for long periods. “The golf course needs to be protected. Over the last number of years, the dune face has retreated approximately a yard per year. People have seen a huge retreat in these dunes. If we don’t do it, eventually the golf course will go and there is an over-riding question; what generation is going to do it? If it breaches the dunes, a lot of agricultural land behind the club is going to get flooded,” Joe Russell predicted. Up to 10 metres of sand dune front along the entire …

JOE RUSSELL, general manager of Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Ireland in Doonbeg,  has said the five star west Clare resort is currently experiencing its busiest month since opening in 2006. Currently the golf club and lodge employees 230 full and part-time people. Acknowledging that early year uncertainty adversely affected trade in Doonbeg, following receivership and the winter storms, Joe Russell says that business has picked up considerably in recent months. “With the receivership it was slow to start off and obviously coming out of the storm, that had an impact on our golf business at the beginning of the year. But we have done a tremendous amount of work in the last number of months and August has been our best ever month since we opened. July was very strong, August is stronger and September will be strong. We’re also looking at a good October. While the early part of the year was tough going, giving everything that went …

FOLLOWING their short visit to the newly re-branded Trump International Golf Links Ireland in Doonbeg last week, the new owners will be back in West Clare next week. Donald Junior and Eric Trump held talks last week with golf club management as they outlined their plans for their new purchase. However on Wednesday a golf club spokesperson said that “nothing firm” has been decided upon, with regard to adding to the facilities at the five star resort. However, speaking last Thursday morning, while the Trump brothers were at the Doonbeg resort, general manager, Joe Russell said that, in his view, the golf club will be added to. “For me, we expand our facilities. I don’t have the definitive yet as to what they’re thinking about doing. But there will be things put in to grow the business. I know from my experience what’s needed to grow the business,” Mr Russell told The Clare Champion. “We’re going on to the field …