Giant's Causeway coins: A threat to Ireland's natural wonder
Giant's Causeway, one of the most significant natural sites in Northern Ireland, is facing a new threat. Tourists are leaving coins in the crevices of the basalt columns, causing damage.
Giant's Causeway, famous for legends of battles between giants, has long been struggling with coastal erosion and rising sea levels. Now, a new issue has emerged—coins inserted by tourists into the crevices of the basalt columns. Although they may not be noticeable at first glance, with a closer look, you can see hundreds of coins in every crevice and nook.
As reported by the BBC, much like the locks on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, coins are left for luck or love. The coins cause serious problems, which is why the caretakers of Giant's Causeway, the National Trust, are appealing to visitors not to leave change in the rock crevices.
"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," said Dr. Cliff Henry from the National Trust, quoted by the BBC.
Preventive actions
The National Trust is urging visitors to stop inserting coins before further damage to the rocks occurs. Dr. Kirstin Lemon from the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland recommended removing as many coins as possible to prevent further physical and chemical damage. A specialist stonemason has already begun work, removing about 10% of the coins.
"He's [a specialist] done some test sites already so we know we can take these coins out without doing damage to the stones themselves," noted Henry.
Last year, about 684,000 people visited Giant's Causeway, and this number is approaching the pre-pandemic level when nearly one million tourists visited in 2019. The National Trust emphasises that Giant's Causeway is not only Northern Ireland's most valuable natural phenomenon but also an important part of the economy.
