Trump fans display their devotion in Doonbeg as pageantry laid on thick for former US president

“Is Féidir Linn” proclaimed the slogan on the transport van making one of many shuttle runs into Trump International Doonbeg on Wednesday afternoon.

The same words - a translation of his famous “Yes We Can” campaign phrase - were proclaimed by President Barack Obama during his 2012 College Green address in Dublin. It’s doubtful Donald Trump has enough Irish to detect the tribute, but probably for the best that the van was nowhere to be seen by the time he arrived into his hotel shortly after 8pm.

The pageantry was laid on thick - a troupe of Irish dancing children on a freshly put together wooden stage performed for him on arrival. A fleet of golf buggies was parked up outside the hotel, the first two carrying insignia for “President Trump” and Eric, his son, who is accompanying him on this visit.

Inside the hotel, there was no room for anything but Trump, as the members’ bar gradually filled up across the afternoon with Trump fans displaying various degrees of devotion.

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Canadian tourists Stephen and Wendy Bauld said they were huge fans of both Trump and his hotels, staying in them all around the world.

“We stay at Trump properties because they’re the best,” Stephen told The Irish Times, ensconced next to a roaring fire in the members bar, enjoying a pint of Guinness and peanuts. The Baulds, on a trip to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, feel he is done a disservice by the press.

“When he talks about fake news, he’s absolutely right,” Wendy said. “You can’t believe anything anymore,” she argued, saying he is quoted out of context.

Her husband said Trump is “smart, articulate, and he takes incoming [fire] like I’ve never seen before. Biden… he doesn’t even remember he was in Ireland last week. There’s no comparison between the two.”

Trump’s Irish fans were in attendance as well - none more eager than Tadhg O’Shaughnessy from Limerick, propping up the bar and chatting to American golfers with his girlfriend of 15 years, Indu.

Sporting a MAGA hat, he showed The Irish Times some of the gifts he had brought for Trump. Most strikingly, a piece of fan art depicting Trump astride a white steed, jumping out of a wave, wearing what appeared to be some pieces of gladiatorial armour over what looked to be a combination of a business suit, flowing greatcoat and cowboy boots.

The secret service intercepted Tadhg as he waited, saying he couldn’t give the former President the gifts. The Irish Times did not see if he managed to get them into Trump’s hands.

Before Trump’s arrival, Tadhg lavished praise on the former president as someone who “does the right thing for his country, he loves his country”. He opined that the January 6th riots were a “setup by Nancy Pelosi” and said that Trump had told his supporters to go to Capitol Hill peacefully. Tadhg said Trump “definitely” won the 2020 election. He said he likes some of the Independents in Irish politics, and singled out Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty for praise, but said he has no time for mainstream politicians.

As for Doonbeg’s residents, a delegation who support the construction of new sea wall defences travelled out to the hotel to meet with Trump on Wednesday evening.

Included was Rita McInerney, a local shopkeeper and former Fianna Fáil General Election candidate who spoke to The Irish Times earlier in the day in her shop.

“Locals are avoiding the place,” she said of the town, which was conspicuously quiet for Trump’s third visit - some bars had as many or more journalists ensconced in them as locals.

Some of the commentary in 2019, she said, was a “a bit sickening”, coming from people who didn’t understand the importance of the hotel to the community.

“We very much have to separate the politics and the business,” she said. “We as a country do a lot of business with nations that we wouldn’t agree with politically,” she said, pointing to trade with the Middle East, China and Russia.