Co Clare man Timothy O’Connell smiles while posing for a photo beside the “Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland” sign at the entrance to the Donald Trump-owned golf resort in Doonbeg.
It is lunchtime on Wednesday, and O’Connell has made the 110km round trip from his home in Newmarket-on-Fergus, elsewhere in the county, to the Co Clare resort to mark Trump’s second election as US president.
“I came out especially. Why? Because I am just delighted that Donald Trump has been elected. I think it is a good thing for America and a good thing for the world,” he said.
There was no sign of any celebrations marking the resort owner’s resounding US election victory, as the main doors of the hotel were shut; the hotel closes from Monday to Thursday in the off-season.
The golf course was open, and the golf shop was stocked with Trump Doonbeg-branded goods. Customers could buy Trump “Maga” (Make America Great Again) peaked hats in various colours.
In nearby Doonbeg village, local retail worker Susan O’Shea said Trump’s election was “good for the community here”.
“He is a big employer and there is a huge spin-off. I don’t follow politics, but I am just glad that he has got in and it is good for our community,” she said.
The Trumps have injected millions of euro into the resort since their 2014 purchase. In high season, 300 people are employed at the resort. Some €6.6 million was paid out in wages in 2022.
O’Shea said that 90 per cent of customers to McInerney’s convenience store on the village’s main street “were happy” on Wednesday morning with the US election result.
“They are very happy because since he took over the hotel it has been a really good investment for both him and the area,” she said.
The positive impact of the resort on the west Clare area was “like an octopus – it is far-reaching”.
Local publican Tommy Tubridy said he was delighted to have Trump back in the White House again.
“He is very good for the local economy,” he said.
Tubridy said Trump’s son Eric is the most involved Trump family member at the resort.
“We have got to know him down through the years and they have invested a lot of money up there,” he said.
“It is a win-win situation here for everyone.”
Asked whether there will be a party locally to celebrate Trump’s win, Tubridy said: “We will wait until he comes.”
Now in the pub business 49 years, Tubridy said there was “a good buzz” in the village over Trump’s election.
“When you have the president of the US having property here in Doonbeg, it is very good, and he is creating a lot of employment – and that is what it is all about,” he said.
[ What Trump’s presidency could mean for Ireland’s economyOpens in new window ]
During Trump’s visit as president in 2019, the pupils of the two-teacher Clohanes national school, along with the school’s principal Aideen O’Mahony, met Trump near the ninth green at the golf course while he was out playing a round.
O’Mahony said the pupils were talking about Trump’s election on Wednesday morning.
The school is a mile away from the golf resort, and O’Mahony said some parents of the children attending school work at Trump Doonbeg.
“The hotel is very important for employment in the area,” she said.
The children’s encounter with Trump five years ago was “a surprise” and “great fun for the children”, she said.
Local retailer and Fianna Fáil general election candidate Rita McInerney, a local councillor, said people were more guarded about what they say about Trump because of online abuse in the past.
[ A Trump win is bad news for the Irish economy. The question is how bad?Opens in new window ]
“The community of Doonbeg is trying to survive and grow. The nastiness should not be targeted at rural communities where people are trying to survive,” she said.
“The people of Doonbeg have the same variety of opinions on Donald Trump as other parts of the country. Some people are for him and some people are against him.”
The main concern from his election as US president for a second time was that “overall it will have a positive impact on the resort and its success”.