The decision by the High Court on Wednesday to ban public access to the Old Head of Kinsale, which is now a privately owned golf course, was described yesterday as a victory by private enterprise over the common good.
The ruling by Mr Justice Kearns overturned the public's right - previously upheld by An Bord Pleanala - to walk the headland. Effectively, it brought to a conclusion four years of proceedings concerning the future of the Old Head, and confirmed the contention of the golf club developers, Messrs John and Patrick O'Connor of Ashbourne Holdings Ltd, that the land was privately owned. "Unfortunately, rambling and golf do not mix," Mr John O'Connor said yesterday.
Mr Martin Joyce, editor of Walking World Ireland, said the High Court decision was short-sighted and would leave bad feeling among the walking fraternity. It was a victory, he added, for the select few and for private enterprise over the common good.
Mr Damien Enright, who has published Walks In and Around Kinsale, said the decision had removed from the people of Cork, and nature-lovers everywhere, the right to walk on the Old Head and enjoy its magnificent scenery. It was "a sad day", he added.
"Whether or not there was a legal right of way, the fact is that walkers, anglers, rock climbers, families having picnics and geology students traditionally had access to the area, and now that has been removed. It is difficult to see how any of these groups could mount a Supreme Court appeal against the High Court's decision," Mr Enright said. Up to 200 people availed of the area on summer weekends, he added.
From now on, it would appear, members of the public who wish to visit the Old Head will have to pay green fees of £190 a day.