As the countdown to a high-profile visit by former US President Donald Trump to the Republic of Ireland enters its final hours, Irish national police force An Garda Síochána has rolled out one of the largest and most complex security and policing operations in the country’s modern history. Trump is scheduled to land at Dublin Airport aboard Air Force One on the morning of Saturday, 12 September, for a two-day official and personal trip that will wrap up with his departure from Shannon Airport on Sunday evening.
An Garda Síochána confirmed it has designated the visit an extraordinary national event, requiring more than 10,000 12-hour officer shifts to be filled across the three-day window from Friday through Sunday. For weeks, planning teams have carried out intensive, cross-agency coordination to prepare for every potential security scenario, with two specialized water cannons even deployed from neighboring Northern Ireland to reinforce the operation. Already, visible police deployments can be seen across key sites, including patrols in Kilkee, County Clare, and stepped-up presence in Doonbeg Village, the location of Trump’s international golf resort.
The itinerary for Trump’s visit maps out a full day of official engagements in Dublin on Saturday morning, followed by a trip west to County Clare for the remainder of the trip. After arriving in Dublin, the US President will first travel to Phoenix Park for two key meetings: a formal audience with Irish President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin, the official presidential residence, and talks with Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin at the government’s Farmleigh House estate. Following these meetings, Trump is scheduled to deliver a public address at Deerfield Residence, the official residence of the US Ambassador to Ireland.
By Saturday afternoon, Trump will depart Dublin for Shannon Airport in County Clare, where he will attend the Irish Open, which is being hosted at his own property, Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg. To accommodate the visit and the tournament, a sweeping set of access, traffic and airspace restrictions have been put in place across multiple regions of Ireland, and officials have warned local residents and travelers to prepare for significant disruption.
In Dublin, the entire Phoenix Park will be closed to the public for the duration of Saturday’s events, forcing the temporary shutdown of popular attractions including Dublin Zoo and Magazine Fort. Temporary traffic restrictions are already active on perimeter roads surrounding Dublin Airport, and will remain in place until Saturday afternoon. Additional rolling restrictions will be implemented on the M50 motorway between Junctions 3 and 6 during two peak windows: 8:00-9:00 a.m. and 12:00-1:00 p.m. local time. A temporary maritime exclusion zone and outer control area have also been activated in coastal waters off County Wicklow.
Flight and drone restrictions are in force across both Dublin Airport and the Doonbeg golf course, though police officials emphasized that commercial flight operations will continue as normal at both Dublin and Shannon Airports. Travelers are nonetheless advised to add significant extra time to their journeys to account for rolling road closures and enhanced security checks. All passengers transiting through Shannon Airport have been told to keep official photo identification and valid flight documentation readily available for inspection.
In County Clare, access restrictions will remain in effect from September 11 through Sunday evening along the N67 route between Clonadrum Cross in the north and Doonbeg in the south. Access to the area surrounding Doonbeg village, the Trump International Golf Links, Hotel Doonbeg and wider west Clare is strictly limited. Only credentialed staff and official participants will be permitted to enter the golf links and hotel for the Irish Open, and all attendees must use designated park-and-ride shuttle services – no private vehicle parking or pedestrian access will be allowed. Airport-style screening will be in place at entry points, with only small personal bags permitted on site, and police have asked attendees to arrive extra early to clear security and ticket checks.
Security officials also confirmed they are preparing for anticipated protest gatherings at both Shannon Airport and Doonbeg village, and have allocated resources to manage any public demonstrations while maintaining overall security for the visit.