REVEALED: Trump visit to Irish Open confirmed as ministers reveal fear over Daniel Kinahan extradition - and one even takes cheeky dig at the US president's World Cup moment

By VALERIE HANLEY and JOHN DRENNAN Published: 23:02, 1 August 2026 | Updated: 23:03, 1 August 2026 US President Donald Trump will arrive in Ireland on September 12, the Irish Mail on Sunday can exclusively reveal. The president will attend the Amgen Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf resort in Co. Clare in a visit already being described by Government sources as ‘a logistical nightmare’. Sources told the MoS that Trump may perform the prize giving at the Irish Open. He is also expected to turn the sod on the new US Embassy development in Dublin. Senior Government sources also told the MoS there is disquiet over the timing of the visit, which comes as Ireland holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, placing additional demands on Garda security resources. The fact that Daniel Kinahan is expected to be extradited to Ireland from Dubai in the coming weeks is also causing concern. Sources say the Government hopes the two men don’t arrive at the same time. Of the Trump visit, a senior source said: ‘We knew he was coming, but now that it’s here, it’s a different thing.  The president will attend the Amgen Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf resort in Co. Clare in a visit already being described by Government sources as ‘a logistical nightmare’ 'The prospect of Kinahan and the president coming at the same time is one we don’t want to think about.’ Another was equally blunt about the visit. ‘This will create havoc. We thought he might come the day before the (Irish Open) tournament started because the logistics of him arriving in the middle of it will be a nightmare.  'He definitely wants to be around for the prize-giving. He’s got a taste for it after the World Cup.’ Trump’s presentation of the World Cup trophy alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino to champions Spain last month was described as awkward – with the US president appearing to refuse to leave the podium as the jubilant Spanish players lifted the trophy. If Trump travels to Dublin, he will be expected to meet Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Government Buildings and President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin. President Connolly has been a vocal critic of Trump but said during last year’s US election campaign that she would meet him if he visited Ireland, as part of her constitutional duties. The visit is also expected to attract protests, adding to an already complex security operation. More than 70 per cent of respondents in a recent Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll said they would not welcome a Trump visit. The main concern within Government is that President Trump may seek to address a high-profile public event. 'The prospect of Daniel Kinahan and the president coming at the same time is one we don’t want to think about’ The preferred template is understood to be George W Bush’s 2004 visit. Amid mounting anger over the Iraq War, Mr Bush attended the EU-US summit at Dromoland Castle, Co. Clare, where he met Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, stayed one night and departed the next day. ‘That would be the ideal,’ one Government source said. Ministers concede, however, that Trump will be harder to manage. ‘How do you organise Trump? Even his own people can’t,’ one minister said. Another minister added: ‘It’s unfortunately unlikely we’ll get away with a golfing trip. Fortunately, the Dáil is adjourned.’ A senior minister acknowledged the limits of any planning. ‘On one level, there’s no way to accurately plan for Trump. It’s more a case of dealing with it hour by hour and hoping he doesn’t declare war on anyone.’ There are also concerns about the security demands of a Trump visit on a garda force already operating at full capacity during Ireland’s EU Presidency. ‘There are genuine concerns,’ one source said. ‘Gardaí are stretched to capacity with the EU Presidency. A week of nationwide riots over Trump is the last thing we need. We have no place to put the rioters.’ Trump’s presentation of the World Cup trophy alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino to champions Spain last month was described as awkward The Irish Open runs from September 10-13 at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg. The MoS revealed earlier this year that the US president intended to visit Ireland in September. In July, Trump hinted that he planned to attend the Irish Open. In a recorded video message played during US Independence Day celebrations at the ambassador’s residence in Dublin, Trump said: ‘You know, I have a beautiful place over there. It’s one of the best, most beautiful golf courses anywhere in the world.’ He added: ‘We have the Irish Open going to be there and we’re going to have a tremendous celebration. I think I’m going to come over and we’re going to watch Rory [McIlroy] and all the great players.’ Defending champion McIlroy and Ryder Cup star Jon Rahm are among the big names due to compete at the Open. McIlroy played golf with Trump in early 2025. However, informed sources say securing the remote west Clare venue while staging a major international sporting event presents enormous operational challenges. Maintaining the required exclusion zone around the course without disrupting tens of thousands of spectators will be a significant test. US sources said the president could not travel before the tournament because the 25th anniversary commemorations of the September 11 attack make his absence from events in the United States on that date ‘unthinkable’. In an interview with the MoS in June, US Ambassador Ed Walsh said he remained confident that Trump would turn the sod on the new US Embassy development at the former Jury’s Hotel site in Ballsbridge during the visit. The MoS revealed last September that Doonbeg had been selected to host this year’s Irish Open. In January, both Irish and US government sources confirmed the tournament would coincide with a presidential visit. The MoS revealed earlier this year that the US president intended to visit Ireland in September. In July, Trump hinted that he planned to attend the Irish Open Mr Martin formally invited Trump to Ireland during his St Patrick’s Day visit to Washington in March. The president has repeatedly expressed his desire to attend the tournament. He has visited Doonbeg several times since buying the resort in 2014, including during a presidential visit in 2019. On that occasion, then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met him at Shannon Airport before Trump travelled to Doonbeg, where a 10-mile US Secret Service security cordon was established. Public access inside the zone was prohibited and all authorised visitors passed through airport-style security screening. Security concerns have intensified since then, following several assassination attempts including an attack in Pennsylvania in which Trump was shot in the ear. It remains unclear how next month’s visit to Doonbeg will be managed. A senior US official told the MoS last month: ‘How he would attend a tournament at this location is currently beyond our capabilities to organise. Obviously, attendance by spectators is central to the success of an event at a venue owned by the president’s family. ‘For him to attend would require security arrangements that would effectively preclude that. Transport access is also completely different from venues in the United States, where we have had recent difficulties.’ In September, Trump attended the Ryder Cup at Bethpage, New York, but organisers asked him not to arrive before the opening tee amid fears of severe disruption. His attendance at the US Open tennis final in New York the previous week led to lengthy delays as airport-style security screening created huge queues outside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Similar scenes were reported when he attended the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals victory celebrations. The Irish Open is expected to attract more than 20,000 spectators each day. 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