ABSTRACT
Following closure of the Suez Canal in 1967, Whiddy Island, Bantry Bay, in south-west Ireland was selected by Gulf Oil for construction of an oil terminal from which super-tanker cargoes could be redistributed to European refineries. Gulf’s contract with local authorities included provision for a landscape architect. Landscaping techniques employed in construction of the terminal included use of overburden to break storage tank silhouettes, paint color selection for storage tanks and a planting scheme to integrate the terminal with the rest of the island. Economic and social impacts have, through a combination of the Betelguese disaster and civil disorder in Northern Ireland, been most disruptive. To be successful in Ireland, developers must initiate and maintain dialogue with the local authority, the mechanism of which, with some differences, is similar to that in the United Kingdom.
