US President Donald Trump has turned his focus to golf after triggering a diplomatic row as he backed a united Ireland on the first day of his trip to the country.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, the US president claimed Irish reunification was inevitable, adding it "may as well happen now".
Mr Trump's visit to Ireland also led to protests in a number of locations, with thousands flooding the streets of Dublin city centre to express their anger.
After a series of engagements in Dublin in the morning, Mr Trump travelled to the Doonbeg golf resort he owns in Co Clare where he watched some of the action at the Irish Open with his family.
He was given a rapturous reception as he made a brief appearance in the members’ bar of the hotel.
Punters cheered and chanted "USA" and sang songs as Mr Trump filed through the bar on tonight.
This evening, three women appeared in court charged with offences committed at Mr Trump's golf course in Doonbeg.
A woman in her 20s was arrested yesterday for trespassing on the golf links, while today a woman in her 30s and one in her 40s were arrested for public order offences at the site.
The three women appeared at a special sitting of Ennis District Court this evening.
Protests are taking place around the visit, with thousands on the streets of Dublin earlier today and some protesters too in Shannon and Doonbeg.
Thousands of protesters gathered in the capital amid one of the biggest policing operations in the history of the State.
Demonstrators criticised the welcome he has been given by the Government.
In Co Clare, protestors gathered at Shannon Airport and Doonbeg in opposition to the US president's visit.
Up to 100 protestors gathered in a designated area off the main road leading to the airport, chanting "free Palestine" and "US military out of Shannon" as the US president flew overhead aboard Marine One.
He arrived in Doonbeg shortly before 3pm following diplomatic engagements in Dublin this morning with President Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
Mr Trump spent the morning in the Phoenix Park, with courtesy calls to President Connolly and Mr Martin on the first day of the visit.
President Connolly stood at the end of the steps in the Portico to greet Mr Trump where they shook hands and then led the US president down the Francini corridor and into the state reception room.
President Connolly, a long-standing critic of the US president, invited him to sign the visitors' book in the state reception room.
They then proceeded to the drawing room and into a hallway where Mr Trump was introduced to dignitaries.
President Connolly gave gifts focused on peace, including an anthology of the collected poems of Michael Longley with the media notes highlighting his sonnet 'Ceasefire' which has become one of the defining poems on what it is to forgive.
A pointed message on immigration is also evident in the choice of Navigatio Sancti Brendani – The Voyage of St Brendan.
This tells the story of a sixth-century monk from Kerry who sailed into the Atlantic.
And finally, President Connolly gifted a St Brigid's Cross - an enduring symbol of peace.
Later Monica Crowley, the US Chief of Protocol, answered the question when asked what Mr Trump had discussed with President Connolly, who has been critical of his foreign policy.
She said: "The president had a very constructive conversation with President Connolly today about a whole range of issues, including energy and European supplies of energy."
She said Europe had plenty of sources of energy on the continent and in the surrounding waters.
"They had that conversation very specifically," she said.
Meeting Taoiseach
The US president then met Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Farmleigh House where in response to a reporter's question, Mr Trump said he would like to see a united Ireland.
He said unification would happen eventually and it would be a "great thing".
He also said that the relationship between Ireland and the US has "never been as good as it is right now".
He described himself and Mr Martin as "friends", and said they "had a great relationship from the beginning".
He added: "We have a big relationship with Ireland and that will continue stronger than ever.
"We're doing very well. The two countries do very well together."
He said the relationship has "never been as good as it is right now", adding: "So, thank you for hosting us."
Relationship with Ireland will continue 'stronger than ever' - Trump
Mr Martin told the US president he was "very pleased to welcome you to Ireland", adding that the US and Ireland have a "very strong, old relationship".
He said: "You did say to me 12 months ago that you would do everything possible to get here when it was announced that Doonbeg would be the venue for the Irish Open.
"I think it illustrates the very strong sporting relationship between our two countries.
"The sporting connections between our two countries are huge and the people of Doonbeg are particularly appreciative of your investment and the investment of your family."
In a speech to hundreds of invited guests at the US Ambassador's residence following his visit to Farmleigh House, Mr Trump said a united Ireland would "be pretty cool".
'It's just a fantastic place' - Trump praises Ireland and the Irish people
Mr Trump said being asked about reunification is "one of those questions where no matter what you say, no matter how well you say it, there is no good answer".
In his speech, Mr Trump affectionately referred to Irish people as "vicious bastards".
"You have unbelievable people in Ireland," he said, adding: "People love coming to Ireland because they love you, they love the people.
"There's a friendliness, there's also a vicious and a toughness.
"Let me tell you. You’re some of the most vicious bastards I’ve ever done business...
"But when you want to be nice, there’s nobody nicer.
"And I just want to thank you. It’s an honour to be here."
Trump visit time to reflect on 'deep and enduring' US links - Tánaiste
Air Force One touched down at Dublin Airport just before 8.30am, where President Trump was welcomed by Tánaiste Simon Harris, who earlier said the trip is an opportunity to mark and reflect on the "deep and enduring" links between Ireland and the United States.
Speaking at Dublin Airport, Mr Harris said: "Talking to the president there at the foot of Air Force One we had an opportunity to recall previous conversations we had, indeed I had phoned President Trump on his election as President of the United States".
The Tánaiste said that as "finance minister" he is "very conscious of the economic benefit of the [Irish-US] relationship, hundreds of thousands of people in this country employed in US firms.
"People in every single state in the United States employed in Irish-owned firms and that two-way bilateral relationship matters, matters a long time and of course transcends any individual office holder," he said.
Government figures were keen to stress the economic value of the Irish-US relationship ahead of the visit, with Mr Harris pointing to how President Trump's visit will be an opportunity for the Government to engage substantively on this partnership.
The visit has been declared an extraordinary event, with garda leave cancelled and members of the force drafted in from outside the Clare division to police Mr Trump's one-night stay in the county.
Gardaí have said this weekend will be one of the biggest security operations they have ever put in place.
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