Skip to content

Trump's Irish golf course damaged by protestors

Kevin Sharkey
BBC News NI Dublin reporter
Getty Images A Trump golf course flag sits in the green at the site in Doonbeg, County Clare. The fore is green with the beach and sea in the distance.Getty Images
Irish police are investigating after damage was caused to the course in Doonbeg, County Clare

A golf course owned by US President Donald Trump in the Republic of Ireland has been damaged by vandals.

Gardaí (Irish police) are investigating after what is described as "criminal damage" was caused to the Trump International Golf Links Ireland in Doonbeg, County Clare.

BBC News NI understands that the damage was confined to the course, and it included graffiti linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict in the Middle East.

The graffiti is believed to have been in support of Palestine and critical of the US president.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses, and in particular those who were in the area from around teatime on Wednesday until midnight.

Getty Images A still image of the golf house at the Trump International Golf Links Ireland site in Doonbeg County Clare. It is a stately, grey three-storey building and sits on the edge of the golf green.Getty Images
The US president and members of the Trump family have previously visited the course

President Trump has visited the course previously and some members of his family are regular visitors to the resort.

The vandalism came just hours after Trump hosted Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin at the White House during annual St Patrick's Day celebrations.

During their meeting in the Oval Office, the president told the taoiseach that he hopes to visit Doonbeg again in the near future.

He said he would like to meet Martin at the resort.

The Doonbeg course was bought by The Trump Organisation in 2014.

PA Media Red paint is daubed across a white building with red tiled roof. It is across the white stonework and windows. The main Turnberry hotel can be seen in the background.PA Media
Paint was daubed on one of the Turnberry resort's buildings

Last weekend, a pro-Palestinian group vandalised parts of Donald Trump's Turnberry golf resort in Scotland.

Palestine Action posted photographs on social media showing red paint daubed across one of the buildings at the Ayrshire course.

The words "Gaza is not for sale" was sprayed across one green and another green appeared to have been dug up.