Taoiseach to discuss "need for peace" with Trump in Dublin

Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin touched on what he plans to discuss with US President Donald Trump when the two leaders meet in Dublin next weekend.

“We will obviously talk on a number of issues and our consistent view, and the one we have articulated, is the need for peace and a cessation of hostilities,” the Taoiseach said on Friday in Co Cork, where he was turning the sod on a Kinsale Community School property, according to the Irish Independent.

“I believe the US wants a cessation of hostilities. It is not clear whether the Iranian regime wants that? It is just not clear.

“But it is extremely important that we do bring an end to that war and that stability and certainty can be again brought back to global energy markets."

US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Dublin early on Saturday, September 12, with The Independent reporting that he will fly in on the Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, despite concerns over its security and unfinished upgrades.

It will be Trump's first international journey on the Qatari jet since US officials secretly moved him to another plane while departing July’s NATO summit in Turkey after intelligence indicated a potential Iranian threat.

“We don’t comment on specific upgrades or modifications to Air Force One,” a senior Trump administration official said on Friday.

“We maintain a consistent posture that ensures a safe, secure, and reliable capability for the President of the United States and routinely evolve the capability as required to maintain that posture.”

At Dublin Airport, Trump is set to be greeted by Tánaiste Simon Harris.

While it is not an official state visit, Trump will travel to Dublin's Phoenix Park on a Marine One helicopter for a "brief courtesy visit" with President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin, followed by a meeting with the Taoiseach at Farmleigh House.

It will be Trump's first meeting with Connolly, who was elected in November and has been critical of Trump and the US. The Taoiseach and Trump met in person at the White House earlier this year during the annual St. Patrick's Day engagements, where Trump mistakenly referred to Connolly as "he."

March 17, 2026: Taoiseach Micheal Martin and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House. (RollingNews.ie)

Trump is also expected to attend an event at the residence of US Ambassador Edward Walsh in Phoenix Park on Saturday. According to RTÉ News, Trump's anticipated stop to turn the sod at the new US embassy in Ballsbridge, Dublin, is likely off the agenda due to security and logistical challenges.

US Ambassador Ed Walsh at a 4th of July celebration at the Ambassador's residence.

Meanwhile, Ireland's Office of Public Works (OPW) has confirmed that, following a request from An Garda Síochána, Phoenix Park will be closed from 11 pm on Thursday, September 10 to 6 pm on Saturday, September 12 for "operational reasons."

While all gates, including pedestrian gates, will be closed during the period, access will be provided to essential staff working within the Phoenix Park, and arrangements will be confirmed in the coming days, the OPW said on Friday.

Following his meetings in Dublin, Trump will travel to his golf resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare to attend the Irish Open. It is expected he will leave Ireland either late on Sunday or early on Monday.

The Irish Times reported on Friday that First Lady Melania Trump will not be accompanying her husband during his Irish trip.

President Trump's sons, Don Jr and Eric, are expected to be in Doonbeg, but reportedly won't be traveling as part of their father's delegation.

A massive security operation is underway in advance of the American President's arrival, the scale of which has reportedly raised concerns within the Garda Representative Association (GRA).

Protests are expected in both Dublin and Doonbeg, including the Irish Neutrality League's (INL) "No Welcome for Trump" demonstration at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin on Saturday afternoon.

“The normal security situations apply,” the Taoiseach said in Co Cork Friday.

“The Irish Open is an important event, and it will have a degree of tension and profile this year that it perhaps has never had.

“Doonbeg, and the people of Doonbeg, are particularly welcoming of the fact that the Irish Open is there. It has been important to the local economy and so on.

“But people have the right to protest. And, as I say, once it is within the norms of legitimate action and protest, that is the essence of a democratic world.”