Residents in Doonbeg County Clare have voiced their support for Donald Trump as voters take to the polls across the US.

More than 100 million people have already voted by post in the election and it is hoped the total voter turnout will be far higher this year than it was four years’ ago.

The former US Vice President Joe Biden holds a commanding lead in the polls; however, polls in 2016 severely undercounted Trump supporters.

On Lunchtime Live this afternoon, Andrea Gilligan heard from locals in Doonbeg, County Clare – home of the Trump International Golf and Hotel Resort.

Local man Liam said he was hoping for a Trump win over the coming days.

“Isn’t it a great position we are in that we have two people going for the presidency that have connections with Ireland?” he asked.

“Of course, you must always back the people that back you and the Trump organisation has a super facility here in west Clare and they are employing a hell of a lot of people.

“If you look at rural Ireland and you look at tourism, tourism is very, very important to the west of Ireland and this company has spent a lot of money.”

Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump behind the bar at Tubridy's in the village of Doonbeg, County Clare, 07-07-2019. Image: SMG/Zuma Press/PA Images

He said the Trumps always spend their money with local businesses when they visit the area.

“They have a policy where the American visitors that come in to play golf are distributed by their bus down to the restaurants and bars around west Clare so there is a very positive attitude to them here,” he said.

“I did happen to meet [President Trump] when he was over here and I was amazed because he gave a totally different impression when I saw him talking to the children. He was able to engage with them and they were able to engage with him.

“I had the pleasure then of meeting him and I will give a straight and a fair answer, I found him very pleasant and very nice and I told him we appreciate their business here in Ireland and we appreciate what he is doing for Ireland.”

Marine One comes in to land as US President Donald Trump returns to Doonbeg Golf resort in County Clare, 06-06-2019. Image: Niall Carson/PA Archive/PA Images

Meanwhile, retired businessman Michael said the Trump presidency had offered “huge PR value” to Doonbeg over the years.

“We have the president of America on a podium with millions of people focused on him and he is talking about Doonbeg,” he said.

“So Doonbeg right now is a very marketable product and we need to exploit that.”

A golfer on the Doonbeg Golf Links course and hotel in County Clare, 12-05-2014. Image: Niall Carson/PA Archive/PA Images

Café owner Rita said it is a “bit of an indictment” of the lack of regional development in Ireland that “our biggest employer in west Clare is the President of the United States.”

“From the point of view of Trump International, it would normally be very busy in September and October with a lot of golfers,” she said.

“That in turn supports 300 people working in the summer. Many of those are students returning to third level. It supports the meat supplier, the fish supplier, the veg supplier and a lot of businesses in west Clare.

“Similarly, then the restaurants in Doonbeg. The Americans like to come out of the resort and they want to meet the people and come to the pubs.”

She said President Trump’s visit to the area last year was “certainly an experience for a lot of people here.”

“It is something you would only hear about or see in the movies that level of detail and security and all of that so it was really interesting from that perspective,” she said.

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