FORMER US President Donald Trump has arrived in Clare.
While he was expected at Shannon Airport between 3pm and 5pm this afternoon, it was around 6.30pm when his aircraft touched down.
He later left Shannon for Doonbeg in a motorcade consisting of approximately 20 vehicles, while a helicopter kept watch overhead.
Neither Shannon nor Doonbeg saw protests of any note this evening and in fact there were a small number of Trump supporters in both areas.
One woman brandishing a Trump banner outside Shannon Airport as his motorcade passed said she was thrilled to have come so close to him. “I’m absolutely delighted. I came down from Ballinrobe in Mayo, I brought the kids down, it’s a once in a lifetime experience and I wanted them to see it and feel it.”
She claimed that Trump was the winner of the last US Presidential election. “Trump’s amazing isn’t he? He’s the one. Trump won!”
Mr Trump is being accompanied by his son Eric and they are set to fly out of Shannon again on Friday evening.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.