Giants Causeway
This is a place of outstanding beauty and peace in Co
Antrim in Northern Ireland. The photographs were sent to
me by my father who lives in Ireland and has heard the legend many
times. (Please see below to read the legend for
yourself)
But leaving the legend out of the picture it is still a naturally
beautiful
place.
The Story of Giants Causeway is an Irish Legend and mythology and
goes like this:
The Giants Causeway And The Legend Of Finn
McCool
Since the 18th century The Giants Causeway has often been
described as ‘The Eighth Wonder Of The World’ and once you have
visited the site you will quickly see why.
The area consists of an estimated 40,000 hexagonal basalt
columns, which were formed during a volcano eruption 60 million
years ago.
Strangely the Causeway is thought to have lain undiscovered by
the outside world until a visit in 1692 from the Bishop Of Derry
(Londonderry). The Bishop alerted authorities in Dublin, who then
notified learned circles in London. Many papers were produced and
many theories on how it had been formed were put forward.
Many theories are deeply rooted in science and although
very valid, they make a very boring read.
My favourite explanation of how the Giant’s Causeway came to be
lies in the legend of Finn McCool.
Finn McCool
Finn McCool (Fionn mac
Cumhail) an Irish Giant lived on an Antrim headland
and one day when going about his daily business a Scottish Giant
named Fingal began to shout insults and hurl abuse from across the
channel. In anger Finn lifted a clod of earth and threw it at the
giant as a challenge, the earth landed in the sea.
Fingal retaliated with a rock thrown back at Finn and shouted
that Finn was lucky that he wasn’t a strong swimmer or he would
have made sure he could never fight again.
Finn was enraged and began lifting huge clumps of earth from the
shore, throwing them so as to make a pathway for the Scottish giant
to come and face him. However by the time he finished making the
crossing he had not slept for a week and so instead devised a
cunning plan to fool the Scot.
Finn diguised himself as a baby in a cot and when his adversary
came to face him Finn’s wife told the Giant that Finn was away but
showed him his son sleeping in the cradle. The Scottish giant
became apprehensive, for if the son was so huge, what size would
the father be?
In his haste to escape Fingal sped back along the causeway Finn
had built, tearing it up as he went. He is said to have fled to a
cave on Staffa which is to this day named ‘Fingal’s Cave’.
Other versions of the legend include Finn throwing a huge piece
of earth which then became the Isle of Man and the
hole which it left behind became Lough Neagh
To find more information about this area of the UK please go to
Giants Causeway and Antrim
When you see this area doesn't it make you want to do something to
help with the climate
change?