2. The Legend Begins…
When humans first laid eyes on the Causeway, situated north-east of the
town of Bushmills, they assumed it could only be the work of giants.
The naming of the giant as Finn McCool (or Finn mac Cumhaill in Irish)
seems to have started with the tales that were written down in the 1840s,
but as with all the best stories, there are many versions told. Here is one…
3. Finn McCool was a giant who, for
the most part, lived a quiet life on the
Northern Irish coast.
But there were rivals, other giants,
who perhaps to pre-empt a
challenge from his Scottish
neighbour, Benandonner, Finn laid
down the gauntlet and then built the
Giant’s Causeway so they could
meet and do battle.
Finn McCool Challenges
Benandonner
4. The Giants Boot!
However, on his way over to Scotland, Finn spied Benandonner in the
distance and realised that his rival was much bigger, taller and stronger
than he had first appeared from across the water.
Finn decided that he didn’t want to fight Benandonner anymore and ran
back home as fast as he could – so fast in fact that his boot came off on the
shore!
Photo courtesy of Victor Cerutti (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
5. Finn found his wife Oonagh at home and explained
the terrible mistake that he had made.
Oonagh quickly devised a plan to dress Finn up as a
baby and put him into Oisin’s (their son) cot, covering
him with a shawl.
Just then, there was a loud banging on the door!
‘Where’s Finn?’ Benandonner demanded, ‘I want to
battle with him now!’
Oonagh timidly opened the door and said, ‘Finn’s out
at the minute herding the cows. Why don’t you come
in and wait for him and I’ll fix you a cup of tea?’
6. So Benandonner sat by the fire
waiting for Finn to return and
drank his tea growing more and
more impatient as time passed by.
Suddenly, Benandonner heard a
noise from the next room.
‘Ha!’ said Benandonner, ‘He’s
hiding in there!’
Benandonner leapt to his feet,
clenched his fists and pushed
open the door to the room from
where the noise came, expecting
to find Finn.
7. Baby Finn McCool?
Instead, Benandonner saw a giant
baby in a cot!
Benandonner paused, looked to the
baby and his mother several times
and then his face went pale.
8. Benandonner gulped and then immediately ran out of the house and home
across the causeway, tearing it out behind him to make sure that Finn
wouldn’t be able to find his way across.
The remaining part of the causeway still exists today in Scotland, on the
Island of Staffa.
