The US president Donald Trump may visit Ireland in a personal capacity after contact was made with the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Senior sources said “some enquiries” have been made through the department although no details has been confirmed.
Mr Trump will make a State visit to the United Kingdom on June 3rd-5th. He may visit Ireland after that trip.
One source said it is likely that any trip to Ireland would be in a personal capacity rather than an official one.
There has been a long-standing invitation for Mr Trump to visit Ireland, since 2017. The former taoiseach Enda Kenny, who has described language used by Mr Trump as “racist and dangerous”, said he invited the US president because in Ireland, “invitations are always returned, and returned in kind”.
Mr Trump said at the time that he “absolutely” intended to return to Ireland. In 2018, during his first visit to the White House as Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar said the offer to visit was still open.
“The invitation that Enda Kenny made to Donald Trump stands. Donald Trump has invited me to Washington DC and he is going to invite me to his house. I think it is absolutely appropriate, it’s normal hospitality, that when somebody invites you to their front room in their house that you reciprocate with an invitation,” he said.
Mr Varadkar said if Mr Trump took up the offer, he would like to show him the Border with Northern Ireland.
‘A great place’
Mr Trump again indicated during the St Patrick’s Day trip this year that he planned to make the visit, referencing his hotel in Co Clare.
“I have a very warm spot for Doonbeg, I will tell you that. And, it’s just a great place,” he said. A previous visit, which was cancelled, drew ire from certain politicians including Ministers from the Independent Alliance party who said they would join street protests.
Mr Varadkar defended the proposed visit.
“I know a lot of people dislike him. A lot of people object to him. A lot of people disagree with a lot of his policies, just as I do in fact. But he is the president of America.
“He is elected according to their rules, and the relationship between Ireland and the United States is so strong and so important, much more important than any Irish government or any US administration and I think we have to treat his office with the respect that it deserves.”
