President Donald Trump has repeated his support for a united Ireland on the second day of his visit to the country, spending the day at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, County Clare, for the Irish Open.
On Saturday, Trump told reporters he would love to see a united Ireland during a meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin. Speaking again on Sunday at his Doonbeg resort, he said it would be natural to put Ireland and Northern Ireland "together".
Trump spoke to reporters after watching tournament leader Shane Lowry tee off. He described his earlier remarks as "a fairly routine comment".
"I've always loved the people of Ireland. It just seems to me you have Northern Ireland and Ireland," he said. "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."
The president declined to answer a question about Scottish independence. "I won't talk about Scotland yet — I will save that," he said.
Taoiseach Martin said Trump's remarks did not come as a "surprise" to him. He noted that Trump had raised the idea of a "merger" of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland at an event in Washington during the Saint Patrick's Day celebrations, a comment some had interpreted as a reference to unity.
"He would make the point this is his view. He believes unity is the logical way for the island to be configured and organised," Martin said.
A major security operation remains in place for the duration of Trump's visit. He is due to depart from Shannon Airport on Sunday evening.
More than 10,000 people marched through Dublin on Saturday in opposition to the US president's visit. On Sunday, protesters continued to arrive in Doonbeg by bus, with around 100 demonstrators present in the village. A small group was moved away from the president's hotel by Gardai, according to reports.
On Saturday evening, three women were arrested for trespassing on the golf links at Doonbeg and appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court.
Rev Steven Foster, a Methodist minister from Galway, attended the anti-Trump protest in Doonbeg. "I'm here because Trump is the exact opposite of everything I stand for as a follower of Jesus," he said. "As a church leader, it's important for me to be visible, and the church needs to be visible in this regard." He added that the "type of welcome he has been given sends out a terrible message".
Not all local voices were critical. Several residents and business owners praised the economic impact of Trump's golf course on the area.
Martin Kelly, a local businessman, said the village is "very fortunate" to have the Trump International Golf Course. "It's a massive employer here to be honest with you," he said. "There's nothing else about here at that scale; they're very decent people to work for, they're very fair." He added that local people are "very proud" that the tournament is taking place there.
"We're not into politics here, we're into business. And it's a massive business to us. Doonbeg is one of the best links courses in the world. Donald Trump isn't perfect but look he's not doing a bad job either. Hopefully Shane Lowry can win now with the help of God, and hopefully he can come to Doonbeg afterwards for a beer — I'll buy him one if he does," Kelly said.
Seoirse Comerford, who owns the Comerford bar in Doonbeg, described the tournament as "unbelievable". "If you look at the red double decker buses going up and down the street full of people, we never thought we would have seen the like of that," he said. He added that the golf course is a major employer and is keeping Doonbeg "alive", noting that most rural villages in west Clare are struggling with population decline.
