Ireland

Donald Trump postpones visit to Ireland

President Trump had announced he would visit the Republic in November
President Trump had announced he would visit the Republic in November President Trump had announced he would visit the Republic in November

US President Donald Trump's visit to Ireland this autumn has been "postponed" due to scheduling reasons, the Dublin government said.

He was due to hold a two-day trip during which he was expected to visit his golf course in Doonbeg, Co Clare, and Dublin around the weekend of November 10-11.

The White House announced on August 31 that Mr Trump would travel to Paris for a commemoration of the centenary of the Armistice which ended the fighting in the First World War.

His visit to Ireland was due to coincide.

A spokesman for the Dublin government said: "I can confirm that the proposed visit of the US president is postponed. The US side has cited scheduling reasons."

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has previously said news of the visit came a little bit out of the blue.

Irish activists espousing left-wing and environmentalist causes had pledged to hold protests.

The US president was originally invited to Ireland by former taoiseach Enda Kenny on his final St Patrick's Day visit to the White House last year.

That offer was reiterated by Mr Varadkar last March.

Last week Tánaiste Simon Coveney said the Dublin government was "a little taken by surprise" when the announcement was made.

Mr Coveney said: "It will be controversial because everything Donald Trump does these days is controversial."

It was to be Mr Trump's first visit to Ireland since he assumed the office.

Brendan Howlin, leader of the Labour Party in the Republic, said Mr Trump was "no friend of democracy or human rights".