{"id":621489,"date":"2026-09-11T14:40:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T14:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/621489\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T14:40:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T14:40:18","slug":"hes-keeping-our-village-alive-doonbeg-residents-prepare-to-host-donald-trump-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/621489\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018He\u2019s keeping our village alive\u2019: Doonbeg residents prepare to host Donald Trump \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

It has been suggested Ireland<\/a> should refuse to roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump<\/a> as he visits west Clare<\/a> this weekend. <\/p>\n

But Doonbeg residents are sparing nothing as they ready themselves for the arrival of the 47th president of the United States<\/a> \u2013 and for the 2026 Irish Open <\/a>which they believe could provide an economic boost to the area for decades to come. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not all in agreement with everything he\u2019s doing in the world, but he\u2019s keeping our village alive,\u201d says Caroline Kennedy of The Igoe Inn on Kilrush Road. <\/p>\n

\"MiaMia McInerney (6) holds the stars and stripes as her brother James (13) holds the Clare flag in Doonbeg village. Photo: Bryan O\u2019Brien \/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Like most Doonbeg locals, Kennedy believes the village has never looked so good. <\/p>\n

When the nearby Trump International Golf Links and Hotel was announced 12 months ago as the host of the 2026 Irish Open, the Doonbeg Tidy Towns committee swung into action. <\/p>\n

Jennie Drysdale, chairperson of the group of 16 volunteers, says this weekend\u2019s deadline for the arrival of the world\u2019s top golfers \u2013 and course owner, Trump \u2013 helped focus minds. <\/p>\n

In the past year, the village park, Lakeview, was revived with new footpaths and picnic benches. Old flowerpots were replanted with colourful pollinator-friendly plants. <\/p>\n

A vibrant mural by German artist Marcus Vallboehmer, depicting Doonbeg\u2019s story in jigsaw pieces, was painted on the gable end of the home of the late John O\u2019Gorman, a founding member of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association. <\/p>\n

\" Doonbeg village in County Clare as last minute preparations take place ahead of the visit of President Donald Trump. Photo: Bryan O\u2019Brien \/ The Irish Times \"LastLast minute painting on Morrisseys pub Doonbeg.Photo: Bryan O\u2019Brien \/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Irish paint manufacturer Fleetwood donated as much free paint as was needed to give a fresh lick to homes lining the village\u2019s lengthy main street from which Doonbeg gets its nicknames, \u2018The Long Village\u2019 or \u2018The Longest Village\u2019. <\/p>\n

As well as repairing roads and upgrading water infrastructure, Clare County Council<\/a> gave grants to pay for painters, and homeowners chipped in, too, with voluntary contributions ranging from \u20ac50 to \u20ac500. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a true team effort. We should rename the town \u2018Doongreat\u2019 \u2013 because we\u2019re doin\u2019 great,\u201d laughs Drysdale. <\/p>\n

\"CarolineCaroline Kennedy outside her pub The Igoe Inn in Doonbeg. Photo: Bryan O\u2019Brien \/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Kennedy emphasises the economic spin-off of Trump\u2019s business to Doonbeg\u2019s four pubs, two restaurants, coffee dock, shops and accommodation providers, and the wider west Clare tourism industry. <\/p>\n

The publican is quick to praise Trump\u2019s hotel, which provides four courtesy buses on call to shuttle their high-roller guests to and from the village. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are not too many hotels in Ireland that bring their guests out of their establishment to support the local community,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Doonbeg was doing just fine before State got involved in moving Irish Open to Trump\u2019s venueOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

When Trump and his two sons, Eric and Donald jnr, visited in 2019, Kennedy recalls commentary, \u201cthat we\u2019ll sell our soul to sell a pint\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are not many people who would refuse a business that is employing 300 people,\u201d she counters. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf a factory with 300 employees closed in the morning, it would make headlines. He\u2019s our factory. It\u2019s the biggest employment in west Clare \u2013 why would you bite the hand that feeds you? <\/p>\n

\u201cNobody would refuse the same thing in their parish. Every chance [Trump] gets, he gives Doonbeg a plug. We benefit from the Americans who come here. They\u2019re willing to spend money, we\u2019ll take it,\u201d Kennedy says. <\/p>\n

Doonbeg Tidy Towns has organised the inaugural Doonbeg F\u00e1ilte Fest, to coincide with the Open. Outside the community hall car park is a big screen showing the golf live; inside are craft stalls with local produce for sale. <\/p>\n

\"“Jennie\u201cJennie Drysdale, chairperson of Tidy Towns Doonbeg. Photograph: Claudia Savage\/PA Wire\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAs a village we wanted to capture the energy of what was happening at the golf course and we came up with a slogan, \u2018Come for the golf, stay for Doonbeg\u2019,\u201d says Drysdale, while wearing a T-shirt with that slogan printed on it. <\/p>\n

The retiree expects anti-Trump protests to be peaceful. <\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone has a right to their opinion. They have their purpose; we have our purpose. And we\u2019ll get along … This is our moment. What happens this week is going to impact Doonbeg\u2019s future for the next 30 years,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Doonbeg village has a population of about 270, with 700 in the wider parish. In summer, that swells to 1,000 or more as holiday homes fill up, according to Tommy Comerford, a founding member of the Doonbeg Development Association. Its fishing industry has dwindled, and while agriculture remains important, tourism is the main employer. <\/p>\n

\"TommyTommy Comerford at the Community Centre in Doonbeg village in County Clare as last minute preparations take place. Photo: Dara Bradley <\/p>\n

Comerford says the community, through the development association, showed vision in 1995 to win \u20ac2.4m European grant aid through Shannon Development. <\/p>\n

They purchased land off four farmers at Doughmore Sandhills, a nearly 400-acre coastal stretch of sand dunes about 3km outside the village, and set about building a golf course to attract wealthy Americans. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere were huge obstacles. Rights of way, environmentalists, squatters. Numerous objections. It was stressful,\u201d recalls Comerford. <\/p>\n

\"AA large Garda and Secret Service presence is already in place around the village of Doonbeg, Co Clare, and at the Irish Open ahead of Donald Trump\u2019s expected arrival at the weekend. Photograph: Claudia Savage\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

Preliminary design was by the late Irish golfer Christy O\u2019Connor junior and later US investors Landmark National appointed Australian golfer Greg Norman to develop the course. \u201cHe was a superstar \u2013 the man who would sell the course in America,\u201d says Comerford. <\/p>\n

It opened in the early 2000s and was successful until storms \u2013 both weather and financial \u2013 hit in 2014. The Trumps bought it and pumped cash into rejuvenating it. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey honoured all previous agreements. They\u2019ve been more than generous to the local community. You can understand why we wouldn\u2019t in any way say anything hurtful to that company,\u201d adds Comerford. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Trump visit will see Phoenix Park closed and restricted access in west ClareOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It has been suggested Ireland should refuse to roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump as he…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":621490,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[97862,969,61,60,1393,112,115],"class_list":["post-621489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-clare-county-council","tag-donald-trump","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-irish-open","tag-sports","tag-united-states"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=621489"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621489\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/621490"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=621489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=621489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=621489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}