Trump ballroom at snail's pace

Doonbeg build plan 'a threat' to rare species

- BY SEAN MCCARTHAIGH

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump could be stopped from building yet another ballroom, this time at his golf club in Doonbeg — by a tiny Irish snail.

The Friends of the Irish Environment group claims that the terminal decline of the protected snail species Vertigo angustior threatens the plans for the proposed ballroom on the site of an existing event marquee at the resort.

They say planning permission for a new ballroom at the Trump-owned Co Clare resort cannot be granted until conditions set in April 2000 to protect the habitat of the rare snail species are met.