How the Giant’s Causeway was Formed
The Mythical Explanation
In this part of Ireland there once lived a generally mild-mannered giant, Finn McCool, who was goaded mercilessly by insults shouted across from Scotland by another giant called Fingal. Incensed, Finn determined to cross the Irish sea to Scotland and deal with his rival. He began to take rocks from the shore and put them into the sea to create a pathway on which to make the crossing.
This was exhausting work and by the time he finished the pathway Finn was too tired to cross it and fell into a deep sleep. While he was sleeping his wife, Oona saw that Fingal was approaching over the path. Alarmed by his huge size and aggressive demeanour, she thought quickly and threw a blanket over the sleeping Finn.
As Fingal approached she raised a finger to her lips “Shh” she said, pointing to the sleeping figure under the blanket, “Don’t wake the baby“.
Terrified at the prospect of fighting the father of such an enormous child, Fingal fled, tearing up the pathway as he went and digging a cave in which to hide out once he got back to Scotland.
To this day you can see the remains of Finn’s pathway both at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and at Fingal’s Cave (pictured) on the Island of Staffa in Scotland – the middle section was, of course, destroyed during Fingal’s retreat.
At least that is one theory on how the causeway formed!
Giant’s Causeway on a cloudy day – Northern Ireland