Latest news with #GiantCauseway
Malay Mail
13-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Tourist coins pose giant problem at N. Ireland's famous causeway site
BUSHMILLS (United Kingdom), July 14 — Northern Ireland's Giant Causeway draws close to one million visitors a year but their habit of wedging tiny coins in cracks between the rocks—to bring love or luck—is damaging the world-famous wonder. Now authorities are urging tourists to keep their coins in their pockets to preserve the spectacular landscape. Some 40,000 columns mark the causeway, Northern Ireland's first Unescp World Heritage Site. Geologists say the natural phenomenon was created by an outpouring of basalt lava 60 million years ago. Legend has it that the causeway was formed by Irish giant Finn McCool. In recent decades, visitors have pushed thousands of coins into fissures in the rocks. The gesture is 'a token of love or luck', according to Cliff Henry, the causeway's nature engagement officer. But the coins rapidly corrode and expand, causing the basalt to flake and leaving 'unsightly' rust-coloured streaks, Henry told AFP. He pointed to streaks on a rock and gingerly prised out a US cent with a set of keys. 'We get a lot of euros and dollar cents. But coins from literally all over the world—any currency you can think of, pretty much—we have had it here,' he said. A report by the British Geological Survey in 2021 revealed that the coins were 'doing some serious damage' and something had to be done about it, he noted. Signs are now in place around the site appealing to tourists to 'leave no trace'. 'Distressed' 'Once some visitors see other people have done it, they feel that they need to add to it,' causeway tour guide Joan Kennedy told AFP. She and her colleagues now gently but firmly tell tourists to desist. At the exit from the causeway, a US couple said they were 'distressed' to hear of the damage the metal caused. 'Our guide mentioned as we came up that people had been putting coins into the stones. It's really terrible to hear that,' said Robert Lewis, a 75-year-old from Florida. 'It's kind of like damaging any kind of nature when you are doing something like that, putting something foreign into nature. It's not good,' said his wife, Geri, 70. As part of a £30,000 (RM172,409) conservation project, stone masons recently removed as many coins as they could—without causing further damage—from 10 test sites around the causeway. Henry said the trial was successful and is to be expanded across the causeway. 'If we can get all those coins removed to start with that will help the situation and hopefully no more coins will be put in,' he said. 'If visitors see fewer coins in the stones and hear appeals to stop the damaging practice, the problem can maybe be solved. 'We know that visitors love and cherish the Giant's Causeway,and many form deep personal connections to it, so we want this natural wonder to remain special for future generations.' — AFP
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Yahoo
Tourist coins pose giant problem at N. Ireland's famous causeway site
Northern Ireland's Giant Causeway draws close to one million visitors a year but their habit of wedging tiny coins in cracks between the rocks -- to bring love or luck -- is damaging the world-famous wonder. Now authorities are urging tourists to keep their coins in their pockets to preserve the spectacular landscape. Some 40,000 columns mark the causeway, Northern Ireland's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Geologists say the natural phenomenon was created by an outpouring of basalt lava 60 million years ago. Legend has it that the causeway was formed by Irish giant Finn McCool. In recent decades, visitors have pushed thousands of coins into fissures in the rocks. The gesture is "a token of love or luck", according to Cliff Henry, the causeway's nature engagement officer. But the coins rapidly corrode and expand, causing the basalt to flake and leaving "unsightly" rust-coloured streaks, Henry told AFP. He pointed to streaks on a rock and gingerly prised out a US cent with a set of keys. "We get a lot of euros and dollar cents. But coins from literally all over the world -- any currency you can think of, pretty much -- we have had it here," he said. A report by the British Geological Survey in 2021 revealed that the coins were "doing some serious damage" and something had to be done about it, he noted. Signs are now in place around the site appealing to tourists to "leave no trace". - 'Distressed' - "Once some visitors see other people have done it, they feel that they need to add to it," causeway tour guide Joan Kennedy told AFP. She and her colleagues now gently but firmly tell tourists to desist. At the exit from the causeway, a US couple said they were "distressed" to hear of the damage the metal caused. "Our guide mentioned as we came up that people had been putting coins into the stones. It's really terrible to hear that," said Robert Lewis, a 75-year-old from Florida. "It's kind of like damaging any kind of nature when you are doing something like that, putting something foreign into nature. It's not good," said his wife, Geri, 70. As part of a £30,000 ($40,000) conservation project, stone masons recently removed as many coins as they could -- without causing further damage -- from 10 test sites around the causeway. Henry said the trial was successful and is to be expanded across the causeway. "If we can get all those coins removed to start with that will help the situation and hopefully no more coins will be put in," he said. "If visitors see fewer coins in the stones and hear appeals to stop the damaging practice, the problem can maybe be solved. "We know that visitors love and cherish the Giant's Causeway,and many form deep personal connections to it, so we want this natural wonder to remain special for future generations." pmu/jj/gil
News.com.au
13-07-2025
- News.com.au
Tourist coins pose giant problem at N. Ireland's famous causeway site
Northern Ireland's Giant Causeway draws close to one million visitors a year but their habit of wedging tiny coins in cracks between the rocks -- to bring love or luck -- is damaging the world-famous wonder. Now authorities are urging tourists to keep their coins in their pockets to preserve the spectacular landscape. Some 40,000 columns mark the causeway, Northern Ireland's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Geologists say the natural phenomenon was created by an outpouring of basalt lava 60 million years ago. Legend has it that the causeway was formed by Irish giant Finn McCool. In recent decades, visitors have pushed thousands of coins into fissures in the rocks. The gesture is "a token of love or luck", according to Cliff Henry, the causeway's nature engagement officer. But the coins rapidly corrode and expand, causing the basalt to flake and leaving "unsightly" rust-coloured streaks, Henry told AFP. He pointed to streaks on a rock and gingerly prised out a US cent with a set of keys. "We get a lot of euros and dollar cents. But coins from literally all over the world -- any currency you can think of, pretty much -- we have had it here," he said. A report by the British Geological Survey in 2021 revealed that the coins were "doing some serious damage" and something had to be done about it, he noted. Signs are now in place around the site appealing to tourists to "leave no trace". - 'Distressed' - "Once some visitors see other people have done it, they feel that they need to add to it," causeway tour guide Joan Kennedy told AFP. She and her colleagues now gently but firmly tell tourists to desist. At the exit from the causeway, a US couple said they were "distressed" to hear of the damage the metal caused. "Our guide mentioned as we came up that people had been putting coins into the stones. It's really terrible to hear that," said Robert Lewis, a 75-year-old from Florida. "It's kind of like damaging any kind of nature when you are doing something like that, putting something foreign into nature. It's not good," said his wife, Geri, 70. As part of a £30,000 ($40,000) conservation project, stone masons recently removed as many coins as they could -- without causing further damage -- from 10 test sites around the causeway. Henry said the trial was successful and is to be expanded across the causeway. "If we can get all those coins removed to start with that will help the situation and hopefully no more coins will be put in," he said. "If visitors see fewer coins in the stones and hear appeals to stop the damaging practice, the problem can maybe be solved. "We know that visitors love and cherish the Giant's Causeway,and many form deep personal connections to it, so we want this natural wonder to remain special for future generations." pmu/jj/gil
Khaleej Times
13-07-2025
- Khaleej Times
Tourist coins pose giant problem at N. Ireland's famous causeway site
Northern Ireland's Giant Causeway draws close to one million visitors a year but their habit of wedging tiny coins in cracks between the rocks -- to bring love or luck -- is damaging the world-famous wonder. Now authorities are urging tourists to keep their coins in their pockets to preserve the spectacular landscape. Some 40,000 columns mark the causeway, Northern Ireland's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Geologists say the natural phenomenon was created by an outpouring of basalt lava 60 million years ago. Legend has it that the causeway was formed by Irish giant Finn McCool. In recent decades, visitors have pushed thousands of coins into fissures in the rocks. The gesture is "a token of love or luck", according to Cliff Henry, the causeway's nature engagement officer. But the coins rapidly corrode and expand, causing the basalt to flake and leaving "unsightly" rust-coloured streaks, Henry told AFP. He pointed to streaks on a rock and gingerly prised out a US cent with a set of keys. "We get a lot of euros and dollar cents. But coins from literally all over the world -- any currency you can think of, pretty much -- we have had it here," he said. A report by the British Geological Survey in 2021 revealed that the coins were "doing some serious damage" and something had to be done about it, he noted. Signs are now in place around the site appealing to tourists to "leave no trace". - 'Distressed' - "Once some visitors see other people have done it, they feel that they need to add to it," causeway tour guide Joan Kennedy told AFP. She and her colleagues now gently but firmly tell tourists to desist. At the exit from the causeway, a US couple said they were "distressed" to hear of the damage the metal caused. "Our guide mentioned as we came up that people had been putting coins into the stones. It's really terrible to hear that," said Robert Lewis, a 75-year-old from Florida. "It's kind of like damaging any kind of nature when you are doing something like that, putting something foreign into nature. It's not good," said his wife, Geri, 70. As part of a £30,000 ($40,000) conservation project, stone masons recently removed as many coins as they could -- without causing further damage -- from 10 test sites around the causeway. Henry said the trial was successful and is to be expanded across the causeway. "If we can get all those coins removed to start with that will help the situation and hopefully no more coins will be put in," he said. "If visitors see fewer coins in the stones and hear appeals to stop the damaging practice, the problem can maybe be solved.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Giant's Causeway: Tourists asked not to wedge coins into rocks
Have you ever thrown money for good luck or to make a wish?Well, tourists at one landmark in Northern Ireland are being urged to keep their spare change in their to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland have been asked not to wedge coins between the famous National Trust, which looks after the site, says the coins left between the basalt columns expand and rust, damaging the rock. What's happened? The Giant's Causeway is one of Northern Ireland's most famous and important landmarks, with hundreds of thousands of people visiting the site each practice of jamming coins into the rocks started many years ago – but the National Trust believes it has increased significantly in the past say that the coins quickly rust and expand, which causes the rock to flake, and it also leaves reddish-brown coloured streaks.A trial to remove coins safely has been successful, and now it is hoped the money - which comes from all over the world – will be removed across the the tidy-up operation is expected to cost more than £30,000 to remove them Cliff Henry, from the National Trust, said the rocks are affected in many explained: "People see others put coins in, so they copycat, they take a coin out of their pocket and they might take a stone off the ground to hammer the coin in."But they might miss and chip the stone itself so that's doing damage."According to the Trust, signs will be put up around the site, and visitors will be warned not to insert the coins by tour guides. What is the Giant's Causeway? Giant's Causeway is located in County Antrim in Northern was formed around 60 million years ago when volcanic eruptions created 40,000 basalt stone the ancient lava cooled, the stones formed into six-sided shaped patterns called hexagons. Legend has it that it was actually an Irish giant called Finn McCool who created the causeway to prove how strong he was to Benandonner, a rival Scottish giant across the Causeway is a Unesco World Heritage Site which means it has cultural, historical and scientific importance.
