Finn MacCool (2)

[Ptarmigan]

The Finn MacCool Story

There are many heroic legends surrounding Finn MacCool, comparisons have been drawn between him and the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Finn was reputed as being the leader of the Fianna, the guardians of the King of Ireland whom he formed from a rough bunch of warriors in an elite group of men who transformed under his command into the manifestation of justice and honour, they were the people's heroes.

Finn's famous son whose mother was the goddess Sadb, is said to be buried in Glenaan.

It is worth noting that many of the great legends of Ireland are based or linked to the north coast of Ulster.

There must be some correlation between this and the fact that Whitepark Bay was where man first settled in Ireland.

The Finn MacCool Story ~ North Antrim

The Legend of Finn MacCool

The causeway was built by Finn McCool, the legendary Irish giant. This was just one of his remarkable achievements, as he was also responsible for creating Lough Neagh and the Isle of Man, and claims to have invented the question mark.

The Legend of Finn MacCool ~ North Antrim

[emdee]

I've heard a version of the legend that says that the lump of stone that Finn McCool threw at the Scottish giant mised him and landed in the sea, and became the Island of Staffa, which has the same hexagonal rock columns.

[Ptarmigan]

Naw emdee, that's no legend, that's FACT!

So, isn't it about time you guys gave the Island of Staffa back to the Irish? ;D

But seriously, here's a short video clip of the stones on Staffa:

Staffa Island

& another of Fingals Cave:

Fingals Cave, Staffa Island

& another:

Inside Fingals Cave, Staffa Island

Here's an interesting quote on the subject:

"most famous but least visited cave in the world." Many catch a glimpse on boat trips to view wildlife in the Treshnish Isles or to visit the well-known monastery at Iona, founded by St. Columba in A.D. 586. But few set foot ashore on Staffa these days.

"The basalt layers that form Staffa are the remnants of lava flows some 60 million years ago," says Angus Miller, owner of GeoWalks, a geology touring company based in Edinburgh. "The basalt once covered a wide area of western Scotland, all the way across to Ireland and the Giant's Causeway," he says. The Causeway basalt, located in North Antrim, mirrors the formation on Staffa.

Staffa: A medley ~ Diane Kightlinger

& another:

According to the legend the Irish giant, Finn MacCool build a way from his home, which was in Antrim at the seaside. The end of the way was the castle of Finn Gall on Staffa Island.

Finn Gall was his mortal enemy. The Finn MacCool wanted to attack Finn Gall, but acute Finn Gall attacked first. He ferried to the island on MacCool's bridge. When he arrived, MacCool was sleeping. MacCool's wife told to Finn Gall that there wasn't MacCool there, he saw Finn MacCool's son. The Finn Gall took fright and he ran away. When he arrived at the sea, he destroyed the bridge.

Now we know the true story of the way of the giants.
The construction of this object is enthralling, there are 40 thousand-basalt buttresses. The bases of the basalt buttress are orderly polygon. The basalt buttresses due shelves. But now don't think in legends. There were many theories about the way of the giants. According to a theory it was a forest. There were some people who said it was the mineral from the sea. Now the geologists say this is remainder of a volcano. 50 million year ago there were many active volcanoes. When the lava set firm the way of the giants were born. The best sentence come from Sir Joseph Bankstol.

"What are the church and the castles beside the nature? They are only toys."

The way of the Giants

Today, some of us may tend to laugh a little at the primitive folks who years ago actually believed these stories of Giants, but even more fanciful { in my opinion } than these legends of Giants, are the teachings of the 'Causeway Creation Committee' over here.

The Causeway Creation Committee was set up in Co Antrim as a body which advocates literal biblical creationism.

This means its members believe that the answers to the scientific origins of the world can be found in The Bible; specifically in the book of Genesis.

The words of The Bible are not just for Christian conduct but represent a complete and infallible account of the geological and historical development of earth, they argue.

Therefore the theory dictates that the Earth is only 5,000 years old, it was created by God in six days and the dinosaurs existed alongside humans. It is a complete rejection of Darwinian evolutionary science.

Belfast Telegraph ~ article

"There's nowt so queer as folk "

Cheers
Ptarmigan