Trump to meet President at Áras during visit next weekend

US President Donald Trump is to meet President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin during his planned visit to Ireland next weekend.

He is likely to arrive in Dublin early on the morning of Saturday 12 September, before travelling on Marine One helicopter to the Phoenix Park for meetings with Ms Connolly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

Mr Trump will spend Saturday night at his golf resort in Doonbeg for the Irish Open tournament.

While a bilateral meeting with Mr Martin at Farmleigh House has long been expected, there had been doubt over whether the US President would meet President Connolly.

It is understood that a draft itinerary for Mr Trump's visit early last month had no scheduled engagement at Áras an Uachtaráin, while a spokesperson for Ms Connolly had said she would consider any request for a meeting she received.

Mr Martin said he does not have any concerns about the meeting between President Connolly and Mr Trump.

Asked about the possibility of protests against Mr Trump, Mr Martin said: "We're a democracy, people have a right to protest.

"I think what’s important ... is that they’re respectful and they respect the rights of others who participate in the event."

Mr Martin said that the meeting wasn’t confirmed earlier as it was subject to President Connolly’s schedule.

"Someone doesn’t want to jump ahead and be announcing things in terms of a forthcoming visit because it’s subject to the president’s schedule," he said.

President Connolly insisted during last year's election campaign that she would meet Mr Trump if the opportunity arose, but she was critical of his administration during her St Patrick’s Day message when she said that "the normalisation of war can never be accepted".

He erroneously referred to Ms Connolly as a "he" during a meeting with the Taoiseach in the Oval Office on St Patrick's Day.

The pair's meeting is being described as a brief courtesy call by those with knowledge of the trip, and so is unlikely to replicate the visits of previous US officeholders Barack Obama and Joe Biden to former president Michael D Higgins.

Preparations for the US President's arrival have been under way for several months, although Government sources acknowledge the sequence of events could still change up to the last minute.

His visit is likely to resemble his second state visit to Britain this time last year, during which he largely stayed within the confines of the walls of Windsor Castle, away from protesters.

Demonstrations at Mr Trump's visit are planned in Dublin and Clare.

The Dublin leg of the journey will be largely confined to the Phoenix Park for meetings with President Connolly and Mr Martin, with a planned pit stop to turn the sod at the new US embassy in Ballsbridge likely off the agenda due to security and logistical challenges.

It is understood that Mr Trump will be greeted at Dublin Airport by Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris.

He could also meet his friend, US Ambassador to Ireland Ed Walsh, at his Deerfield Residence in the Phoenix Park.

The US leader will travel to his Doonbeg Golf resort on Saturday afternoon for the Irish Open.

A senior Government representative may also attend the tournament and surrounding events in a non-official capacity.

Mr Trump will leave Ireland on Sunday evening, 13 September, or early the following day.

Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik intimated the fact that President Connolly is meeting Mr Trump should not be constituted as a broad welcome from the people of Ireland.

"I think that there will be protests on the streets, and I think that people are really, really distressed to see what Trump is doing," she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

"He's brought a creeping fascism across the US and indeed has brought about devastation across the world.

"I've no doubt that Catherine (Connolly) will convey the views of the Irish people in her usual eloquent manner to Donald Trump during what was described as a courtesy call.

"But let's be clear, Donald Trump has unleashed havoc upon the world. He has unwound the international rules-based order, and he absolutely is opposed by the majority of Irish people.

"I think that's really clear," Ms Bacik added.

Meanwhile, the former ambassador of Ireland to the US, Dan Mulhall, said he expects a meeting between Mr Trump and Ms Connolly will go well.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with David McCullagh programme, Mr Mulhall said Mr Trump is quite affable on a one-to-one basis and that President Connolly will realise there is no point having a fight with him.

"Trump has a capacity to get on with people you wouldn't expect him to get on with."

Mr Mulhall said the best outcome from the visit is that it goes off without any major gaffes or incidents.

Mr Mulhall said Mr Trump is under a lot of pressure politically and both sides will be happy if the visit goes well.

"I think both sides will be happy if the visit just goes off smoothly and he goes away happy to have seen some of the best golfers in the world play his golf course," added Mr Mulhall.