Mental Floss

Ireland Begs Tourists to Stop Wedging Coins Into the Giant’s Causeway

A tourist trend is putting pressure on the ancient volcanic rock formations of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
ByCaLea Johnson|
Tourists are damaging the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.
Tourists are damaging the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. | Andrea Pistolesi/GettyImages

Northern Ireland is home to the Giant’s Causeway, a collection of about 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns that protrude from the North Atlantic Ocean and lead up to the foot of a cliff. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is famous worldwide, but now the tourists who flock to it present one of its greatest threats.

According to the BBC, it’s a common custom for visitors to wedge coins into the basalt columns for good luck. It may seem like a harmless act, but the consequences prove otherwise. The Giant’s Causeway is constantly bombarded with salt water, and as a result, the coins quickly rust, becoming up to three times thicker and putting extra pressure on the volcanic rock. When the basalt is under such continuous stress, it may crack or fall apart. The corroded coins also leave behind streaks of oxidized nickel, iron, and copper, which are quite the eyesore. 

Northern Irish officials are in the process of removing the coins from the Giant’s Causeway. The work isn’t cheap: It’ll cost $40,000 for stone conservation specialists to take them out carefully. Since the existing coins may be seen as an invitation to add more, authorities are hoping the coin removal will discourage tourists from further damaging the site. They’re also trying to spread the word about the unintentional destruction to inform people about the issue. 

The Causeway’s columns formed approximately 60 million years ago when Europe and North America were still connected. As the land masses separated, molten lava seeped through the fissures and formed into pillars as it cooled.

That’s the scientific explanation; legend has it that the Giant’s Causeway was built by an Irish giant named Fionn mac Cumhaill (also known as Finn McCool). According to the tale, Finn constructed the massive stone pathway across the sea so he could challenge a Scottish giant named Benandonner. But once Finn saw how enormous Benandonner was, he fled back home in fear.

When Benandonner came looking for him, Finn’s quick-thinking wife disguised her husband as a baby. Seeing the “child” made Benandonner believe its father must be humongous. The panicked giant ran back to Scotland, tearing up most of the Causeway behind him so Finn couldn’t follow. 

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