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Donald Trump walks through a curtained doorway after delivering remarks at Deerfield. Alamy Stock Photo
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From Flatley's flute to 'vicious b*stards': The view from inside Trump's big tent
500 of Ireland’s business leaders, diplomats, political and public figures gathered for an audience with Trump earlier today.
DONALD TRUMP NORMALLY finds himself flanked by heavily armed Secret Service officers and bulletproof glass when he takes to the stage.
But not when he spoke this morning to 500 of Ireland’s business leaders, diplomats, political and public figures.
It was a perfect example of how being inside the tent is always better than out, as rain and wind battered the massive marquee set up in the grounds of the US Ambassador’s residence in the Phoenix Park.
Well-heeled attendees – women in expensive frocks and men in well-tailored suits – mingled as they awaited the US president’s arrival, and it was clear this wasn’t an Irish political party’s local cumann meeting.
In stark contrast to the outside world, the security bubble at Deerfield in the Phoenix Park, home to Ambassador Edward Walsh, was more about keeping the outside world away than looking out for a rogue element inside the tent.
Trump’s Presidential emblazoned lectern was remarkably close to the gathered mass of VVIPs sitting on seats and the mere VIPs standing at the back.
The VVIP’s were made up of representatives from multi-billion euro companies such as Google and Amazon, Irish food firm Ornua, Intel and other tech giants based in Dublin. Waterford Crystal was represented and former ministers Simon Coveney and Mary Hanafin were spotted in the crowd.
There were also other political figures, led by Micheál Martin and his wife Mary, as well as ex-Taoisigh like Enda Kenny and Bertie Ahern.
State officials were also present with secretaries general from the departments of transport, defence, energy and transport.
The Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces Lt Gen Rossa Mulcahy and Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly were also spotted.
Eddie Hobbs, the well-known Cork financial advice guru, sat next to Niamh Uí Bhrian, a co-owner of the Gript website.
Billionaires Denis O’Brien and Dermot Desmond were also on the guest list for the VVIPs. Ambassadors from Britain, Australia and Canada were seated close to them, while Morocco and Georgian delegates were also present.
Amidst the VIPs were former and serving TDs and current senators. Former independent TD Cathal Berry was there, as was Senator Gerry Craughwell. Independent Ireland TDs Michael Collins and Ken O’Flynn also made an appearance, as did Fianna Fáil’s James O’Connor.
Inside the tent
As the morning wore on, musicians played traditional Irish songs and a mix of folk standards – the kind of songs you might find in a tourist trap pub in Temple Bar.
At one stage VVIP Michael Flatley, who was accompanied by his son Michael St James Flatley, took to the stage and was interviewed by master of ceremonies Alan Shortt about his interest in boxing, his upbringing in Chicago and his Irish parents being migrants. He was keen to stress they entered the US legally in 1947.
Flatley later produced his flute and entertained the guests with an upbeat tune. (The Lord of the Dance star, before he became internationally known, was an All Ireland Flute Championship winner for three years running in the mid-1970s).
When the musicians were taking a break a Donald Trump playlist of songs from his rallies in the United States was played.
The songs were as eclectic as the gathered guests – by artists such as Guns and Roses, Elvis, the Backstreet Boys and Pavarotti.
While they waited the guests chatted and made connections inside the tent and outside over coffee.
Business cards were swapped, and phone numbers exchanged.
Trump arrives
Trump and his cavalcade arrived late by about 45 minutes following an extended visit to Farmleigh.
A frenzied and apparently frazzled White House press corps burst in as Trump met and posed for photographs with some of the VVIPs inside the residence.
Walsh took to the stage to tell the audience he had the “best job” and spoke of his affection for his friend Donald.
With that he welcomed Trump on the platform. Trump pouted and posed for a bit and then launched into one of his usual, rambling speeches.
It was a diatribe against his political enemies like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and included stories of supposed triumphant wars in the Middle East and Venezuela. There was no mention of the more awkward and failed efforts in Ukraine and Gaza.
It was for all the world a classic Trump rally speech and at times not lacking in some humour as he poked fun at his own friends and joked about how he never cheats at golf because of his Secret Service protection detail. That got a big laugh, especially when he then said he was not averse to cheating.
During the more US-focused rantings, some of the VIPs started to show an increased interest in their well-polished shoes, but he appeared to win the room back over with praise for Irish business and investment in the US.
He finished it off with a comment much like that infamous Páidí Ó Sé’s compliment to Kerry fans as “the roughest type of fucking animals you could ever deal with”.
Trump got laughter as he said Irish people were friendly but “vicious bastards” and then a cheer when he spoke of Shane Lowry and Rory McIllroy. It was said not as an insult but as an appreciation for how he viewed Ireland.
He declared his need to get to Doonbeg, and off he walked to the tune of the Village People’s YMCA.
The VVIPs and VIPs mingled as they queued for buses to get them back to their cars, as Trump headed for Dublin Airport and his Qatari gifted Air Force One to ferry him to the real focus of the trip – the Irish Open, where’s he’s kept a somewhat lower profile.
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