Sir, - Dermot Gilleece's defence of the golf course on the Old Head of Kinsale (May 13th) tells only part of the story.
On February 26th, 1997 an enforcement order was issued to Ashbourne Holdings by Cork County Council stating that "Development of said land should be discontinued forthwith". According a report in the Examiner on April 12th, full details of the council's objections are sub judice, but one of the issues is believed to be public access. Meanwhile, work of various kinds continues at the Old Head, and unless Cork County Council acts more forcefully, no doubt the golf development will open on schedule.
Mr Gilleece seems to believe that the fact that the deeds to the Old Head contain no public right of way justifies the developer's decision to charge £1.50 for public access. Later this charge is justified by the information that the developer is making an investment of £1 million towards enhancing the public's enjoyment of the area.
The Old Head is of course private property, and if its new owner chooses to ignore the planning conditions imposed on him by Cork County Council, and as long as Cork County Council, for whatever reason, is not enforcing these conditions, he can apparently charge whatever he likes to walkers, or indeed shut them out entirely. The point is that previous owners of the Old Head, who were not millionaires but farmers of modest means, always allowed the public free access to the land. This free access has been taken away by the new owner in spite of the fact that its continuance was a condition of planning permission for the golf course. A very bad precedent is being set here which could have serious repercussions for walkers in other parts of the country. Yours, etc.,
Higher Street
Kinsale,
Co Cork