President Biden Schedules a State Visit to Ireland Around a Golf Tournament at a Resort He Owns

DUBLIN — President Biden landed in Ireland Saturday for separate meetings with the country's president and prime minister, remarks to business leaders at the ambassador's residence, and then a cross-country trip to the oceanfront golf resort he owns, where a professional tournament bearing the nation's name is being played on his fairways through Sunday.

The official portion of the visit fit into a morning. The tournament runs four days. The Press's travel desk, which has covered presidential trips under both parties, could not recall a prior itinerary in which the head of state was also the venue.

Ireland's president, a left-leaning politician who once joined protests against a previous American visit, received Biden cordially, which is the kind of thing presidents of small countries do when large countries land. Irish officials had earlier fielded the question of whether the prime minister might meet the President at the golf resort rather than in the capital, a request The Press notes reversed the customary direction of a state visit.

The Press observes that a president steering official travel toward properties he profits from is 'self-dealing' when the other party's president does it and 'promoting American business' when yours does. The receipts, in this case, are literal, and are held at the front desk.

At press time the meetings had concluded, the motorcade was headed west, and the tee times, unlike the talking points, were fixed.