The crowd erupted as Donald Trump made his way toward the 18th green during the prize-winning ceremony at the Amgen Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf resort. Shane Lowry had just won on the final day. So, with the POTUS there to celebrate Lowry’s victory, the scene had all the makings of a memorable finish, but Trump is never short on surprises.

But the President had more than congratulations on his mind. During his trophy-presentation speech, he announced a decision that could give the Irish economy a significant boost.

“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.

“I want to mention one thing. Taoiseach [prime minister of Ireland] 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). So, Trump’s announcement will only help if the U.S. government follows up on it.

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. “This relationship represents thousands of jobs and millions in investment on both sides of the Atlantic, and the return to tariff-free trade for our Irish whiskey distillers will strengthen this success and lead to further growth and investment.”

All that said, would the whiskey tariff cuts extend beyond Ireland and to the rest of the European Union? That was the question many had after the announcement.

“Just Ireland,” the POTUS said when asked about it just before his departure from Shannon Airport aboard Air Force One.

Shane Lowry couldn’t be any happier!

As Donald Trump said, he had discussed the Irish whiskey decision with Shane Lowry, too. And so, the golfer, who won the tournament, grabbed the opportunity to take a bit of credit.

“Irish distillers better be sending me a cheque soon — that must be worth a few quid with them,” he hilariously said at a post-tournament press conference.

“There was a big dinner last night, and I was there and, and we had a talk, but he didn’t tell me that he had changed his plans for me.”

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.

It was his seventh DP World Tour victory.

But it was a special one because Shane Lowry was frustrated with his 2026 campaign. Speaking during the post-round conference, he admitted that he battled his demons this season.

So, after the win, Lowry even took a selfie with Trump.

While it all sounds fine and dandy, the event had another side to it.

Donald Trump’s visit to the Irish Open met with some protests

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, the mood at Doonbeg had changed dramatically within hours.