British campaigners behind the blimp said the Irish trip was “an excellent opportunity”.
A giant balloon depicting an orange-hued baby with a fierce grimace and shock of yellow hair is set to make a trip to Ireland during the President Trump’s visit sometime in November.
The ‘Trump baby blimp’ originally garnered fame during President Trump’s trip to London, which saw protesters in their thousands take over the English capital. He was in the UK at the time for talks with Prime Minister Theresa May.
Standing at six metres high, the blimp shows the US president wearing a nappy and holding a smartphone with the Twitter app loaded.
Trump’s Irish visit was confirmed over the weekend, with the reason for visiting cited as part of a celebration that brought about the end of the first World War.
While in Ireland, he plans ‘to renew the deep and historic ties between the two nations.’
The 45th President, of course, already owns property in the country, in the form of the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Doonbeg which was recently valued between $25 million and $50 million (€21.18 million – €42.36 million).
On the back of his announcement to visit, the Green Party revealed details of a “Not Welcome in Ireland!” protest in Dublin on 10 November.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan urged people to “show their disgust and rejection of the Trump administration’s policies… in large-scale mass protest around the country.”
People Before Profit also insisted they will be part of organising “massive protests” against President Trump – while Labour leader Brendan Howlin also pledged that his party will also oppose the visit.
The blimp was originally constructed by graphic designer and activist Matt Bonner who funded the protest artwork with a crowdfunding campaign which raised more than 20 times the amount organisers were looking for.
It was announced that it would be making a trip to Ireland by diplomacy lecturer Dr Jennifer Cassidy who played a “minor part” in the blimp’s construction.
Cassidy confirmed the JOE that the blimp’s makers will be taking the piece to Ireland in November.
People of Ireland,
Its official! The balloon has made direct contact and is answering our nations call! This is not a drill. I repeat: this is not a drill. Trump Baby is coming to Ireland! Thanks to the UK & its citizens for sharing it & making this happen. Let’s fly this thing! pic.twitter.com/oNHwAVPalZ
— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@OxfordDiplomat) September 3, 2018
Protest art has a fickle past in Dublin with the removal of a number of murals associated with the Eighth Amendment due to a violation of planning rules and being in breach of The Charities Regulator’s code of conduct.
According to Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) regulations, a balloon in captive or tethered flight “shall not be flown within 60 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure except with the permission of the person in charge of any such vessel vehicle or structure.”
It will also “not be flown within 150 metres of a cloudbase or higher than 60 metres above ground level, measured to the top of the balloon.
“Where it is proposed to tether a balloon of total height 45metres or more, the Operating Standards Department of Authority shall first be advised at least 24 hours beforehand.”
Speaking to the UK Independent, organiser Kevin Smith said: “We’d love to take the Trump baby over to Ireland for the president’s visit.
“We’ve been so inspired by all the people in the streets in Ireland that have been fighting for things like gay marriage and abortion rights, so we’re presuming there’s going to be a massive show of resistance to Trump’s politics of hate and division and it would be an honour for the Trump baby to be part of that.”
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
