President Donald Trump announced he will lift the 15% tariff on Irish whiskey during a trophy ceremony at his Doonbeg golf resort on Sunday, as he doubled down on comments backing a united Ireland that have dominated the second day of his visit to Ireland. The announcement on Trump Irish whiskey tariffs came at the close of a two-day trip that began with remarks in Dublin and ended on the west Clare coast.
Trump Irish whiskey tariffs: what was announced
Whiskey distilled in the Republic of Ireland currently faces the standard 15% tariff applied to EU goods entering the United States. Trump announced at the Irish Open prize-giving that he would remove that levy. The announcement drew particular attention given that, according to WBAL, Trump had already lifted certain tariffs on UK whiskey in May, covering Scotch and spirits produced in Northern Ireland. Politico reported that Trump tied that earlier UK tariff move to the just-completed US visit of King Charles. The decision to extend relief to Republic of Ireland whiskey now draws a line under a period of concern within the Irish whiskey industry that had persisted since Trump introduced new tariffs at the start of his second term.
Trump handed the winner’s trophy at the ceremony to Irish golfer Shane Lowry, who won the Irish Open tournament hosted at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg. The ceremony marked the formal close of his Irish visit.
United Ireland comments: ‘one of the naturals of all time’
Trump used his time with reporters at Doonbeg on Sunday to repeat and expand on remarks he had made the previous day in Dublin, where he told reporters he would love to see a united Ireland at a meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
Standing at his Doonbeg resort, he called it ‘a fairly routine comment’. ‘I’ve always loved the people of Ireland,’ he said. ‘It just seems to me you have Northern Ireland and Ireland. It seems that one of the naturals of all time is to put them together. That’s only my opinion, and by the way many people agree.’
Asked about Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s position that there would be no poll on Irish unity until a majority in Northern Ireland were likely to vote in favour, Trump replied: ‘Everybody says that and then things happen.’ He declined to address a question on Scottish independence, saying only: ‘I won’t talk about Scotland yet, I will save that.’
Martin, speaking at The Open on Sunday, said the comments did not come as a ‘surprise’. He noted that Trump had raised the idea of a ‘merger’ of Northern Ireland and the Republic at a Washington event during Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations. ‘He would make the point this is his view,’ Martin said. ‘He believes unity is the logical way for the island to be configured and organised.’ Martin described some of the reaction as ‘an overreaction’.
Protests across two days
Opposition to the visit was visible throughout both days. More than 10,000 people marched through Dublin on Saturday. At Doonbeg on Sunday, around 100 protesters arrived by bus. A small crowd was moved away from the president’s hotel by Gardaí, RTÉ reported. On Saturday evening, three women were arrested for trespassing on the golf links and appeared at a special sitting of Ennis District Court.
Rev Steven Foster, a Methodist minister from Galway, attended the Doonbeg protest. ‘I’m here because Trump is the exact opposite of everything I stand for as a follower of Jesus,’ he told BBC News NI. He added that ‘the type of welcome he has been given sends out a terrible message’.
Local economy: ‘our Intel down here’
In Doonbeg itself, opinion was divided. Local businessman Martin Kelly said the village was ‘very fortunate’ to have the golf course. ‘It’s a massive employer here to be honest with you,’ he said. ‘There’s nothing else about here at that scale.’ He described the course as one of the best links courses in the world.
Seoirse Comerford, who owns the Comerford bar in Doonbeg, said the tournament had been ‘unbelievable’ for trade. He put employment at the golf course at over 300 people and described it as the village’s anchor: ‘You’ve got big companies in Dublin, like Intel, the golf course is our Intel down here.’ He said his pub had more than 1,000 people through the door on both Friday and Saturday nights. ‘Most rural villages in west Clare are all dying a death,’ he added. ‘The golf course is keeping Doonbeg alive.’
With the trophy presented and the whiskey tariff announcement made, Trump departed Ireland at the end of Sunday, closing a visit that will be remembered as much for his united Ireland remarks as for the Irish Open itself.
