There has been some “overreaction” to Donald Trump’s remarks on prospects for a united Ireland, according to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who said the US president’s view was that he believed unity was “the logical way for the island to be configured”.Martin made the remarks as he attended the final day of the Irish Open at Trump’s golf resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare.Also speaking at the tournament, Trump stood over his controversial comments. “I think it should happen,” he said. Trump had said on Saturday that Irish unity would be a “great thing”, in comments made alongside Martin at Farmleigh in Dublin. The remarks caused raised eyebrows North and South of the Border, and in London, and a backlash from some quarters.A spokesman for British prime minister Andy Burnham said there was no majority support for a referendum, and that one will not be held until that situation changed.That position was put to Trump at Doonbeg, and he responded: “Everybody says that – and then the things happen.“By the way I’ve spoken to him [Burnham]. I think he’s a very nice guy. He tends to be on the liberal side, unfortunately.”In a social media post, Trump ally and Reform part leader Nigel Farage wrote: “Northern Ireland is a proud and integral part of the United Kingdom. The people of Northern Ireland neither want a referendum, nor unification. I disagree with President Trump.” Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch was also quick to reply, accusing the US president of “shooting from the hip” and describing his remarks as “deeply unhelpful”.“President Trump is shooting from the hip as usual, just like he did with Greenland and Canada becoming the 51st state,” she posted online. “This sort of loose talk about the future of democratic countries is deeply unhelpful and creates unnecessary tension.“Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. At a time when separatists are in power in Scotland, Wales and NI, we need a Government that will defend the union clearly and confidently.”Later on Sunday, the Taoiseach said he belived it was Trump’s view. ”That’s his take on Northern Ireland, the Republic.”Asked about the response from some unionists and British politicians, and whether Trump’s remarks were causing difficulty in relations on the island and between Ireland and Britain, Martin said: “I think some of the reaction is an overreaction.”He said Trump’s position should not be a surprise and that “he takes a different sort of perspective on things”.From his conversations with Trump at Doonbeg, he noted that the US president was “looking at it from a perspective of looking in on the island of Ireland and logically saying: ‘To me it seems inevitable that it should be unified’.”Earlier, the Taoiseach was asked whether, on the back of Trump’s comments, he would raise the possibility of a border poll with Burnham. He is to meet the prime minister this week, but said the meeting would be about legacy issues and reform of Northern Ireland’s political institutions. Martin said Trump’s position was ”not a particular surprise to me”, noting remarks by the president during the most recent St Patrick’s Day festivities in Washington when Trump asked about a “merger” in Ireland. The Taoiseach said: “In fact President Trump has memories of the violence of that 30 years and the extraordinary murder and mayhem and killings that took place. So I think in that context, that will be an important part of our meeting with prime minister Burnham.”It emerged on Saturday that Trump had raised his support for a united Ireland as a central theme in private conversations with President Catherine Connolly, as well as with the Taoiseach. A number of people with knowledge of what was said during those meetings, but who wish to remain anonymous, have confirmed he raised the subject, unprompted, during his meeting with Connolly. He said he was in favour of unification, and also mentioned the border poll. In her statement, Connolly confirmed that Northern Ireland had been discussed. Trump’s comments during his Saturday media conference had prompted a swift response in the UK and from unionists in Northern Ireland. “I know he’s a Republican president, I didn’t realise he was that kind of a republican,” said the Conservative party’s foreign affairs spokesman, Tom Tugendhat.Trump, he said, was “completely wrong” in his view. “I would say he was... being incredibly unhelpful to peace in Northern Ireland.”Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson dismissed the remarks, saying the future of Northern Ireland would not be decided by voices from outside. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said: “The onus is on the Taoiseach to begin planning,” she said. “Our national journey is now reunification.”