Peter O’Connell
DONALD J Trump and his family touched down in Shannon airport on Monday morning. The visit represents the billionaire owner of Trump International Golf Links Ireland first visit to the county since his €15 purchase of Doonbeg Golf Club earlier this year.
Accompanied, on a private jet, by his sons Donald Junior and Eric and daughter Ivanka, Mr Trump said that his company would “double or triple” their initial outlay in Doonbeg, while he also said that the company would create “many hundreds of jobs.”
Healso confirmed that his company has been in touch with the European Tour, regarding the possibility of The Irish Open being stated in Doonbeg.
Stating that remedial and improvement work on the golf course would be largely completed within 90 days, Mr Trump said that Clare County Council and Mayor of Clare Joe Arkins had “killed,” wind farm plans for the area.
Both Clare County Manager Tom Coughlan and Councillor Arkins were amongst the delegation to greet the Trump family. Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Rose Hynes, representing Shannon Airport, were also on hand to welcome the American visitors.
The Trumps will be in Doonbeg for three days.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.