A rockfall has struck one of Northern Ireland's most famous natural landmarks, forcing authorities to cordon off part of the Giant's Causeway. The incident occurred in the Loom area at the back of the World Heritage Site on Friday around lunchtime.
Visitors witnessed rocks crumbling away from a section of the renowned basalt columns in north Antrim. The immediate area was quickly sealed off as a safety precaution following the collapse.
National Trust responds to incident
The rockfall comes several months after the National Trust, which manages the Giant's Causeway, launched a campaign urging tourists to stop wedging coins into rock cracks. Workers have been removing currency from around the world, including British pounds, euros and coins from the Far East and United States.
The practice of leaving coins can put dangerous pressure on the surrounding rock structure. However, a National Trust spokesperson stressed that Friday's rockfall was not connected to the coin removal efforts.
Natural occurrence at heritage site
"On Friday at around lunchtime, there was a small rockfall in the Loom area (back of the Giant's Causeway) in Port Noffer," the spokesperson said. "As a dynamic site, rockfalls do occasionally occur at the World Heritage Site."
They confirmed that whilst coin removal work was being carried out on Friday, the activity and the incident were completely unrelated. The area where the rockfall occurred remains temporarily cordoned off whilst assessments continue.
Ancient formation attracts millions
Geologists believe the causeway was created by basalt lava outpouring 60 million years ago when the North Atlantic was opening up. However, local legend tells of Irish giant Finn McCool forming the remarkable columns.
The National Trust protects and cares for more than 40,000 columns at the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland's first Unesco World Heritage Site. The landmark also benefits from numerous other important conservation designations.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
