The Giant's Causeway

Author: * Flidais Niafer - 8 Posts on this thread out of 1,522 Posts sitewide.
Date: Nov 11, 2004 - 10:47

We can't leave Ulster without visiting the Giant's Causeway. This strange stretch of 40,000 stone columns (wonder who counted them all!) is made of basalt or condensed lava, the tallest ones being about 40 feet high. They are most six-sided but some of them vary in shape. Just imagine what this place looked like to the ancient Irish who first laid eyes upon it. No wonder it inspires so many tales! A good subject for our last dindsenchas in Ulster.

Legend has it that Fionn Mac Cumhaill created the Giant's Causeway when he was a giant. A Scots giant named Benandonner was one of his arch rivals but even though he was a giant, Benandonner couldn't get across the water to Ireland to meet Finn in battle - and so Finn ripped up giant handfuls of rock and threw them out to make a bridge to Scotland.

In one version of the story, Benandonner crossed over to Ireland and found Finn dressed as a baby. But he was nonetheless still a giant, of course. Finn bit Benandonner's hand off and the Scots giant fled. Finn, being the warrior giant that he was, couldn't leave it at just that and thought he would give Benandonner a parting shot. He scraped up and threw a few more massive hunks of earth to speed Benandonner on his way back to Scotland. One piece hit the ground so hard that it made a chasm which filled with water and became Ireland's biggest lake, Lough Neagh. He threw another piece out into the sea and that one is the island that is known today as the Isle of Man.

The picture of Giant's Causeway came from the Official site of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. For more information on this fascinating place, visit The Giant's Causeway Official Guide.