Sinn Féin to join protests during President Trump's Ireland visit, says Mary Lou McDonald

What happened

Sinn Féin has confirmed it will participate in protests planned to coincide with US President Donald Trump's two-day visit to Ireland. The party's leader, Mary Lou McDonald, framed the protests as a response to what she described as the United States' role in supporting Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Trump is scheduled to land in Dublin on Saturday. His Irish itinerary includes a courtesy call with President Catherine Connolly at the Áras, a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Farmleigh, and a trip to his Doonbeg golf course in County Clare for the Irish Open.

Why Sinn Féin is protesting

McDonald said the planned demonstrations are "quite correct" given her assessment of breaches of international law and what she called a genocide in Palestine. She singled out settler violence in the occupied territories and accused the United States of facilitating Israel's actions through ongoing arming and political support.

She said Sinn Féin will be present at protests against that perceived facilitation and would be "deeply shocked" if no protest took place.

McDonald said she hopes President Connolly will raise the situation in Palestine during the short courtesy call with President Trump. She acknowledged the encounter will likely be brief but noted the President's positions are well documented.

By contrast, McDonald said the Taoiseach's bilateral meeting will offer a fuller opportunity for the Irish government to set out its position and urged Micheál Martin to do so "very, very clearly and very firmly."

Other relevant details

Sinn Féin has not attended St Patrick's Day events at the White House since Trump began his second presidential term in 2025. The party leader declined to give a detailed view on the appropriateness of the state spending for the visit, saying only that necessary security arrangements will follow any high-profile trip.

Protests are planned in Dublin and near Doonbeg. Public discussion around the visit has been active across Irish media and political circles, with some other parties and campaign groups also considering or organising protests.

What this means for the visit

The combination of planned demonstrations and high-profile bilateral meetings makes the visit both a diplomatic engagement and a point of public contestation. Sinn Féin's participation signals that protest activity will include established political parties as well as civil society groups, and attention will focus on any public statements made by Ireland's leaders during their meetings with the US President.

Bottom line

Sinn Féin will join protests during President Trump's visit, framing them as a response to US policy towards Israel and the situation in Gaza. The party seeks to use the occasion to press Ireland's president and government to raise those concerns with Trump, while acknowledging that the Áras meeting will probably be short.