A hol lot won't go to States

THE number of Irish passengers travelling to the United States has dropped by 10% in the first quarter of this year, new figures show.

- BY LYNNE KELLEHER

The fall comes amid a broader transatlantic cooling-off, with a string of countries also reporting a decline in visitor traffic to the US.

Statistics from the US Customs and Border Protection show 142,782 Irish passport holders went through US pre clearance at Dublin and Shannon airports between January and March 2025, compared to 158,494 in the same period last year - a drop of 15,712.

During the last year of the Biden presidency, the quarterly numbers had risen to a high of 176,240 Irish passport holders passing through the Clare and Dublin airports in the final three months of 2024.