Best Natural Wonders In The World: Ancient Giants In The Giant’s Causeway Of Ireland

The Giant’s Causeway is not only the number one attraction in Northern Ireland but has been named as the third natural wonder in the United Kingdom. Many people would argue that it is the best natural formation in the world. 

Situated within the coastline of Antrim, great rock formations can be seen. These are shaped as hexagonal columns made of basalt. It is hardly believable that these are a natural phenomenon of some 40,000 ‘tile like’ column structures.

Such a magnificent sight to be seen! A mass of stepping stones immersed in water that meets dry land. It feels like you are the wind flipping from one stone to another, insignificant but strong, in its presence. This hub is one of the hubtrail articles for you to enjoy.

-* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--* -*--*

What a playground that Finn MacCool has created! Oh, he was THE Giant – as giant go - amongst Giants. He created the causeway as a path to Scotland. Well as Celtic Irish mythology would lead us to believe!

I don’t think he was very happy with the Scottish giant, Benandonner, because he wanted to fight him. Well, you know guys when testosterone kicks in – egos and all that caper!! However, as he slept on the causeway – he was walking over to battle the Scottish giant - Benandonner crossed the way to find him. As a good protective Wife of Finn McCool, Oonagh, laid a blanket over him and pretended to the Scottish giant that her baby son was lying there.

You would have thought the chatter between the two would have awoken the sleeping Irish giant (funny how guys manage to sleep through a crisis eh?) but he carried on regardless. Blessed are the peacemakers and it is quick thinking of Oonagh who managed to convince the Scottish Giant to save her husband from impending battle.

When Benandonner saw the size of the baby, he could only assume that Finn McCool must be enormous. With this thought he ran back to Scotland, ripped up the causeway in the process, scared.

This is one story from the legend but there is a variation. Both stories all end the same as previously described.

It is thought, the huge Finn McCool, after seeing the big bulk of the Scottish giant, fled back without him noticing. He then asked his wife to disguise him as a baby to psychologically ward off the Scottish Giant. Oonagh then found a rock that was shaped like a steak, painted it and then gave it to Benandonner. In the meantime, the baby was given a real steak, which was eaten easily. How could this be when his steak was so hard? This scared the Scottish Giant and, like the other story, runs away for fear of the family’s great strength.

In the below video, however, there is another version of the story.  You can imagine Irish families, sitting in front of a huge fire, talking and making up these stories to while away the time before bed.

The cooling of molten lava approximately 55 million years ago created this magnificent set of natural structures. The chocolate brown hexagram shapes seem to gleam under the waves of the sea. These shapes are made of basaltic, which form regular shapes through the mineral’s molecular structure.

There is a bridge that crosses the Atlantic – the only one in the world! However, it has to be one of the smallest bridges in the world to cross such a sea! Well 20 metres isn’t much now is it?!

If you ever want to see God’s true natural world – it’s wildness, ruggedness and beauty - then you won’t get much closer than in Northern Ireland’s Causeway.

© This work is covered under Creative Commons License

Follow Me On Twitter, Pinterest, Myspace and Facebook!

Just Click Here and follow the links!