Headlines
Trumps get okay for Irish golf ballroom but must help protect snails
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 24, 2026
3 min readLast updated: February 24, 2026
Quick Summary
Clare County Council approved a 320-capacity ballroom at Trump’s Doonbeg resort with 14 conditions. The club must file a plan to conserve the protected Vertigo angustior snail before construction starts.
Trump family wins approval for Irish golf ballroom, with snail safeguards
Planning Approval and Environmental Conditions
DUBLIN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - An Irish council on Tuesday approved a plan by the family of U.S. President Donald Trump to build a ballroom on their west of Ireland golf course, so long as they draw up a plan to help protect a tiny species of snails that live on the land.
Ballroom Capacity and Design Details
Trump International Golf Club in Doonbeg on the west coast in December applied to build the ballroom for 320 guests, with Trump's son Eric telling the Sunday Independent it would be "the nicest ballroom in the country".
EU Habitats Directive and Snail Protection
Environmentalists objected, however, saying more needed to be done to improve the status of the rare Vertigo angustior snail that is protected by a European Union directive on habitats that aims to maintain or restore rare species.
Conservation Plan Requirement
Clare County Council planners granted planning permission, subject to 14 conditions, including that the golf club submit a plan for helping to conserve and monitor the snails before commencing any work.
1999 Court Order Context
Friends of the Irish Environment had argued that no new permissions could be granted until a court order related to the original 1999 plans for the course requiring the "maintenance or improving" of the status of the rare snail is met.
Local Economic Impact and Employment
Some other local groups wrote in support of the planned ballroom, citing potential job opportunities at the resort, which employs 300 people during the peak summer season. Many locals credit Trump with securing their livelihoods when he bought the course in 2014.
According to the plans, the new ballroom will be 1,240 square meters, a small fraction of the 8,360 square meters of the ballroom planned for the White House. Trump stayed at the hotel, 300 km (180 miles) from the capital Dublin, during an official visit to Ireland in 2019.
Trump Organization Governance
He placed the Trump Organization in a trust managed by his children on taking office, though he remains beneficiary.
Previous Planning Decisions at Doonbeg
In 2020, Trump was refused planning permission to build a sea wall to protect the course from coastal erosion as planners were not satisfied that the proposed development would not adversely affect the sand dune habitat at the site.D
(Reporting by Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin; editing by Sarah Young and Lincoln Feast.)
Key Takeaways
- •Clare County Council approved a 320-capacity ballroom at Trump’s Doonbeg resort with 14 conditions.
- •A conservation and monitoring plan for the protected Vertigo angustior snail must be submitted before work begins.
- •Environmentalists, including Friends of the Irish Environment, had objected over the snail’s conservation status.
- •Local groups backed the project, citing jobs and year-round economic benefits for West Clare.
- •The proposed ballroom measures about 1,240 square meters on the resort grounds.
Frequently Asked Questions about Trumps get okay for Irish golf ballroom but must help protect snails
1What is the main topic?
An Irish council approved a new 320-person ballroom at Trump’s Doonbeg golf resort, subject to conditions that include a plan to conserve the protected Vertigo angustior snail.
2Why was a snail conservation plan required?
The Vertigo angustior is protected under EU habitats rules. Authorities attached conditions to ensure conservation and ongoing monitoring before any construction begins.
3What conditions accompany the approval?
There are 14 conditions, notably submission of a management and monitoring plan for the snail, aligned with conservation objectives and oversight by relevant agencies.
