Doonbeg locals don’t want a repeat of “very nasty comments” made online about Doonbeg by “anti-Trump folks” ahead of the ex-US president’s planned private trip to his western golf resort next month. Clare.
On Friday, Doonbeg tax collector Tommy Comerford said former US President Donald Trump’s 2019 visit to West Clare was marked by “nasty comments” from anti-Trump people about the village.
He said: “Last time in 2019 we got some very nasty comments and one of our people got a nasty letter.
“We don’t want to draw that attention to us again. Everyone knows there are terrible people on Facebook and Twitter and they say terrible things and we don’t want to take that off of us again.”
He added: “We don’t want people being mean to Doonbeg again because we’re here supporting the Trump project. It provides employment that has meant so much to West Clare – not just Doonbeg.”
Another local tax collector, Tommy Tubridy, said, “I could show you some letters,” he received after the 2019 presidential visit.
“Two weeks ago I got a call late at night about the man himself. It has nothing to do with us. I don’t care. I’ve been in business too long to pay attention to it.”
Doonbeg Golf Resort general manager Joe Russell confirmed Trump’s visit on Friday, saying the former president “will be here for a private visit at the end of August and preparations are underway.”
The Trumps have injected millions into the resort since their purchase in 2014, and Mr. Russell said the resort is having “our busiest year since opening.”
Mr Russell said 300 people work at the resort during peak season. During a normal year, the resort pays out €6 million in wages.
Mr Comerford said: “As far as we are concerned, Mr Trump has invested a lot of money and created a lot of jobs in the area and we support him in that sense by providing jobs for the area”.
The planned visit soon follows Eric Trump’s visit to Doonbeg in the summer.
Eric Trump is the most involved of the Trump family in overseeing Trump’s investment in Doonbeg and Mr Tubridy said Eric had a “great night” at his restaurant and bar several weeks ago.
He said, “Every time he’s around, he calls.”
He said: “We are delighted with the investment that the Trumps have made and are going to make.”
Local businesswoman Rita McInerney said Trump’s visit will bring “a little bit of excitement and business as schools reopen around that time.”
Ms McInerney said she had been aware of Trump’s planned visit to Doonbeg “in recent months.”
She said: “It was well known that he was coming.
“Eric was here a few weeks ago doing business and looking at what’s going on and it’s good that they have big plans to constantly update what they have.”
The 2019 visit resulted in a €7.5 million overtime payment to gardaí, where 3,820 gardaí received overtime payments in connection with Trump’s visit – about 27 percent of the then total strength of the garda force of 14,251.
However, due to Mr Trump’s changed status, the security bill will only be a fraction of 2019 spending this time around.
Mr Comerford said there was great excitement during the 2019 presidential visit “when President Trump’s two boys, Eric and Donald Jr., “went through the pubs and bought booze”.
He said, “I don’t think it’ll be like that this time.”