The Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg, Co Clare, which former US president Donald Trump plans to visit this week, is operated by an Irish company that has been plagued by losses since its incorporation in 2014. In fact, it has never recorded an after-tax profit in its annual accounts. The Doonbeg resort has reported aggregate losses of €16.7m to date, while Trump’s ventures in Aberdeen and Turnberry have also been heavily loss-making. The Irish and Scottish companies associated with these ventures are audited by BDO, of O’Connell Street, Limerick, and are ultimately owned by the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust, of Florida, which was established in 2014. Trump’s two sons, Eric and Donald Jr., and Joseph Russell of Ennis, Co Clare are the directors of TIGL Ireland Enterprises Ltd, which operates the Doonbeg resort. Consolidated accounts for 2021 show that Doonbeg’s turnover rose to €7.1m, up from €3.7m the previous year, but that the firm was hit by administrative expenses of €7.4m and depreciation of assets worth €2m, resulting in a loss of €1.5m. Valuation figures for the Doonbeg land and buildings, as well as the golf course, have been decreasing over the years, in 2021, the value for land and buildings was €10.6m, down from €11.8m in 2018, while the value of the golf course was estimated at €4.4m.
