President Donald Trump’s Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg hosted this year’s Amgen Irish Open from September 10 to September 13, 2026. As with recent events on his golf courses, including LIV Golf New Jersey, the POTUS visited Ireland over the weekend to enjoy the game. After Shane Lowry won on the final day, Trump used his trophy-presentation speech to announce removing tariffs from Irish whiskey, as the crowd erupted even before he could finish his sentence.
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“This is an honor. We’re so proud. The whole Doonbeg and frankly, Ireland itself has been so incredible, so inviting. And we’re very honored by presenting you with a great course. It’s been great,” Donald Trump said, as seen in a video uploaded by Nick Sortor on X.
“I want to mention one thing. Taoiseach and I talked about it, and Shane talked about it. And everybody’s been bugging me. They’re saying, ‘Would you do me a favor? It’s so unfair what’s going on. Could you possibly take the tariffs off of Irish whiskey?’ And I said, ‘On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off of Irish whiskey.’ Shane, great job, Shane. Thank you.”
Despite steep tariffs, the US remains Irish whiskey’s largest market, importing roughly 38–40% of exports. Donald Trump announced an EU-wide tariff regime in August 2025, which caused exports to drop. Initially, the tariff was 15% on many EU imports, including whiskey. However, he reduced it to 10% in July 2026.
Trump met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin before heading to Doonbeg—the tariff discussion likely began there. It was the first thing Trump did after arriving in Ireland for a 48-hour visit. This announcement could boost the Irish whiskey industry, which has been declining. The total export value hit about €1 billion in 2024, then fell 5% to approximately €930 million in 2025 because of the US slowdown (tariffs + dollar weakness).
The POTUS didn’t mention any exact date in his speech about when this will take effect. But the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) is excited about the news.
“Nothing exemplifies the US-Ireland trade relationship better than Irish Whiskey,” IWA Director Eoin Ó Catháin said in a statement, per Reuters.
As Donald Trump said, he talked about this with Shane Lowry, too, whom he congratulated for his win.
Lowry carded 67-62-65-63 to finish 23-under 257, winning the Irish Open for the second time—his first since 2009 as an amateur. He won this year with a record 11-stroke margin, the largest ever in Irish Open history.
The victory unfolded in front of massive galleries on the dunes at Doonbeg. The 29-foot birdie on 18th that sealed the win triggered a huge roar. As a native hero, Lowry enjoyed crowd support throughout the week. That’s why he compared the moment to his 2019 Open Championship win at Royal Portrush.
This was his first win after around four years on the DP World Tour and two years on the PGA Tour. It became even more special because Shane Lowry was frustrated with his 2026 campaign. Speaking during the post-round conference, he admitted that he battled his demons this season.
After the win, Lowry took a selfie with Trump before the speech. The tariff announcement drew cheers from fans who had protested Trump’s visit the day before.
Donald Trump’s visit to the Irish Open met with some protestors
During the third round of the Irish Open on September 12, two teenage protesters staged a sit-in on the seventh green to oppose Donald Trump’s foreign and domestic policies. One lay on the ground while the other paced nearby. However, the pacing teenager sat down when security approached. Security guards eventually removed protesters from the green.
The incident came amid a heavy security presence surrounding Trump’s visit. More than 10,000 police shifts were planned across the weekend. Several spectators even faced airport-style security checks and road closures. A survey poll even reported that more than half of surveyed Irish citizens did not welcome Donald Trump. Thousands also gathered for demonstrations in Dublin and elsewhere across Ireland.
Despite the protests on day 1, day 2 was the exact opposite. The mood at Doonbeg had changed dramatically, with Shane Lowry’s historic victory setting the stage for Trump’s crowd-pleasing announcement on Irish whiskey tariffs.