Donald Trump has cancelled an upcoming trip to Ireland – with massive protests having already been planned to greet him.

The president was expected to visit the country after celebrating Armistice Day in France on 11 November. Activists had begun planning massive demonstrations across Ireland for Mr Trump’s arrival, as opposition parties immediately protested the planned trip when it was announced earlier this year.

The Irish Independent first reported the cancellation, claiming the move came as an apparent surprise to the Irish prime minister, Leo Varadkar, and his staff, who also did not expect the president to announce a November visit to the country. A spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said the “US side has cited scheduling reasons” for the cancellation.

Mr Varadkar himself said: “There is an open invitation to the US president to visit Ireland at any time, I think they’ve all visited since Reagan, if not before and obviously there’s an open invitation for me, or any future Taoiseach [prime minister], to attend Washington in March. We hadn’t known until just a couple of days ago that he was going to take the opportunity of his visit to Paris for the Armistice commemorations, commemorating a hundred years of the end of the First World War, to visit Dublin, and also he’s going to go to Doonbeg too.”

The president was reportedly planning a state visit in Dublin with his Irish counterparts before departing for Doonbeg, Co Clare, where he owns a golf course.

It remains unclear why exactly the trip has now been called off, however. Initial reports indicated the White House was still determining whether or not the president would visit Ireland as of Tuesday afternoon.

“The president will travel to Paris in November as previously announced,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “We are still finalising whether Ireland will be a stop on that trip. As details are confirmed we will let you know.”

Donald Trump salutes US troops in Bastille Day parade

The Irish Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin previously described Mr Trump as being “no friend of democracy and human rights” in a tweet encouraging constituents to protest the president’s visit.

It also remains unclear whether there will be any additional changes to Mr Trump’s upcoming European trip. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire Yui Mok PA National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Children were among thousands of people around the UK to protest against Donald Trump's visit Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK protest Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Jessica Morgan Jessica Morgan National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Jessica Morgan Jessica Morgan National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Mandatory Credit: Photo by Steve Parkins/REX (9761011x) Orange trump protester 'Bring The Noise March' Anti Donald Trump Protest, London, UK - 13 Jul 2018 Steve Parkins/REX Rex Features National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Jessica Morgan Jessica Morgan National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Jessica Morgan Jessica Morgan National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Drag queens take part in the Drag Against Trump protest in Piccadilly Circus EPA National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Jessica Morgan Jessica Morgan National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Jessica Morgan Jessica Morgan National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Edward Miliband joins the march Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Jessica Morgan Jessica Morgan National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Jessica Morgan Jessica Morgan National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Charlotte Hodges National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Charlotte Hodges National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK epa06885659 A drag queen shouts anti-Trump chants and holds a placard 'Take me to A Trump free Planet!' at the Drag Against Trump protest in Piccadilly Circus in London, Britain, 13 July 2018. Participants joined other separate demonstrations in the capital city as thousands congregated together in protest against US President Trump visit and some of his controversial policies. Trump is on a working visit to Britain. 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US President Donald Trump launched an extraordinary attack on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit strategy, plunging the transatlantic "special relationship" to a new low as they prepared to meet Friday on the second day of his tumultuous trip to Britain. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLENNIKLAS HALLEN/AFP/Getty Images NIKLAS HALLEN AFP/Getty Images National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK A drag queen joins protesters against the UK visit of US President Donald Trump as they gather to take part in a march and rally in London on July 13, 2018. US President Donald Trump launched an extraordinary attack on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit strategy, plunging the transatlantic "special relationship" to a new low as they prepared to meet Friday on the second day of his tumultuous trip to Britain. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLENNIKLAS HALLEN/AFP/Getty Images NIKLAS HALLEN AFP/Getty Images National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Demonstrators protest against the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump, in central London, Britain, July 13, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson SIMON DAWSON REUTERS National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK Donald Trump UK visit protests Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou National Stop Trump protest: march against US President's visit to UK 'Stop Trump' demonstrators march through Oxford Circus in London, as part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 13, 2018. 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