A new golf course and resort complex, planned in the area surrounding Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, is pitting golfers and politicians against heritage organizations and environmentalists.
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Giant’s Causeway © Alex Ranaldi
Bushmills Dunes is the name of the project proposed to be constructed in County Antrim, within 500 metres of Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year to its distinctive, naturally-occuring hexagonal stones.
Supporters claim that the course has the potential to be among the top 50 courses in the world and will create 360 jobs in region that is desperate for employment opportunities. Critics argue that the development would do irreversible damage to the environment and harm the country’s only designated World Heritage Site. They also point out that there are already more than 80 golf courses in Northern Ireland, some of which are in financial peril.
The development received approval from the government but is now facing a legal challenge from The National Trust, which is currently before the courts. In a place where tempers flare over all sorts of matters, this controversy could get interesting. Thus far there has been no shortage of hyperbole from both sides.
Learn more about this from The Guardian