Why Trump’s visit to Ireland brings an old political headache back

It was a pretty awkward meeting last time around

Trump first visited Ireland as president in 2019 during his first term, and that stop was an awkward one from the get-go as the bilateral with the Taoiseach ended up squeezed into a room in Shannon Airport, just feet from the tarmac.

Once Trump’s Air Force One landed in Dublin, he was headed straight for his Doonbeg resort in Co Clare.

This was much to the relief of the government and the gardaí, who were spared a costly logistical operation in the capital.

Leo Varadkar, the then Taoiseach, met the president at Shannon and the pair signed the guestbook before Trump continued on to Clare.

The Irish government's attention was at the time fixed on Brexit and the border with Northern Ireland.

What Trump’s Ireland visit means and why it matters

The balancing acts doesn’t look that much easier this time around, as the meeting falls to Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

Dublin’s relationship with Washington matters enormously to Ireland and a sitting Irish leader must show hospitality to a US president while managing domestic unease about Trump's politics.

In the meantime, there are practical concerns on top of all of it, as a presidential visit brings a vast security footprint, road closures and a hefty bill for the State.

And this is exactly the disruption the government hoped to keep out of Dublin in 2019 by letting the action play out in the west.

While the venue and format of the September bilateral are still to be confirmed, The Journal noted that the test for Martin is whether this encounter proves any smoother than the last.