President Trump to arrive in Ireland for two-day visit

US President Donald Trump will arrive on Saturday morning at Dublin Airport ahead of a two-day visit to Ireland.

Trump will hold a courtesy call with Irish President Catherine Connolly as well as a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin.

He will also attend events at the US Ambassador to Ireland Ed Walsh's residence in Dublin's Phoenix Park.

Trump will then attend the Amgen Irish Open golf tournament which is taking place at the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Doonbeg in County Clare, which he owns.

He last visited the Republic in 2019, where he also spent time at his golf course.

Irish authorities have been planning for Trump's visit for months in what will be one of the biggest security operations in the history of the state.

Thousands of people are expected at protests in Dublin and a protest will also be held in Doonbeg.

His sons Eric and Donald Trump Junior are expected to accompany Trump in Doonbeg.

"We will have discussions with the president and there will be a reception in the American Embassy but I think he's also very anxious to get to Doonbeg and watch the Irish Open," Martin told the BBC's Borderlands podcast this week.

In a statement issued on Friday night in advance of Trump's arrival, Martin said:

"I look forward to welcoming President Trump to Ireland and to discussing the many issues of mutual interest and reaffirming the strong economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between Ireland and the United States."

"His visit comes during a remarkable sporting summer for Ireland, and the United States and this weekend's Irish Open at Trump International Doonbeg will be a fitting conclusion to an outstanding season of sport, and I hope we will see an Irish winner lifting the trophy on Sunday."

An avid golf fan, in July Trump said he hoped to travel to Doonbeg to watch the Irish Open.

In a special video message, he told the US Embassy's Fourth of July celebration event that he wants to see "Rory [McIlroy] and all the great players".

"There's nothing better than Irish-American friendship and I have a beautiful place over there - it's one of the best, most beautiful golf courses anywhere in the world," said Trump in his message, which was broadcast on a large screen.

"We have a place that's so top and we have the Irish Open going to be there.

"They call it Trump National, we sometimes use the name of the location, but it's Trump National Golf Club, and we're looking forward to it.

"We're going to have a tremendous celebration. I think I'm going to come over and I'm going to see it and watch. It'll be something very, very special."

President Connolly, an outspoken Gaza activist who has been critical of the US and said Trump is acting "like a bully" over tariffs, has come under pressure to raise issues in the Middle East during her brief meeting with the US president.

Sinn Féin and a series of other parties in the Republic who backed her in the Irish presidency campaign last year have called on her to raise Gaza during her meeting with Trump.

Ireland is one of the most pro-Palestinian countries in the European Union and has been criticised for its stance by Israel.