THE GIANT'S CAUSEWAY

County Antrim Northern Ireland

BASIC INFO

The Giant's Causeway, known as Clochan an Aifir or Clochan na bhFomhorach in Irish, and tha Giant's Causey in Ulster-Scots, is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.

It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, and a national nature reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven or eight sides. The tallest are about 39 ft high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 92 ft thick in places.

Much of the Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site is today owned and managed by the National Trust and it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland. The remainder of the site is owned by the Crown Estate and a number of private landowners.

CREATION

GEOLOGY

Around 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleogene Period, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled, contraction occurred. Horizontal contraction fractured in a similar way to drying mud, with the cracks propagating down as the mass cooled, leaving pillarlike structures, which are also fractured horizontally into "biscuits". In many cases the horizontal fracture has resulted in a bottom face that is convex while the upper face of the lower segment is concave, producing what are called "ball and socket" joints. The size of the columns is primarily determined by the speed at which lava from a volcanic eruption cools. The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today. The basalts were originally part of a great volcanic plateau called the Thulean Plateau which formed during the Paleogene.

MYTHOLOGY

According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The Causeway story tells us that Finn lived happily on the Antrim coast with his wife Oonagh until he discovered he had a rival in Scotland known as Benandonner. Finn was frequently taunted by Benandonner from afar and on one occasion Finn scooped up a clod of earth and hurled it across the sea at him but missed. The huge clod of earth landed in the middle of the Irish Sea making the Isle of Man and the depression formed from scooping up the earth filled up with water to become Lough Neagh.

Finn finally challenged Benandonner to a proper fight and decided to build a causeway of enormous stepping stones across the sea to Scotland, so that he could walk across without getting his feet wet. But as he approached and caught sight of the great bulk of Benandonner, Finn became afraid and fled back home, with Benandonner hot on his trail. In his haste as he ran, Finn lost one of his great boots and today it can be seen sitting on the foreshore in Port Noffer where it fell to the ground.

The story takes a humorous twist when Finn asks his wife Oonagh to help him hide. Clever Oonagh disguised Finn as a baby and pushed him into a huge cradle, so when Benandonner saw the size of the sleeping child, he assumed the father must be GIGANTIC. Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway as he went in case he was followed.

The story concludes that this is the reason that the Giants Causeway exists in north Antrim, with similar columns at Fingals Cave on the Scottish island of Staffa.Fionn's wife, Oonagh, disguises Fionn as a baby and tucks him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the 'baby', he reckons that its father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants. He flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Fionn could not follow.Across the sea, there are identical basalt columns (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at Fingal's Cave on the Scottish isle of Staffa, and it is possible that the story was influenced by this.

In overall Irish mythology, Fionn mac Cumhaill is not a giant but a hero with supernatural abilities. In Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry (1888) it is noted that, over time, "the pagan gods of Ireland grew smaller and smaller in the popular imagination, until they turned into the fairies; the pagan heroes grew bigger and bigger, until they turned into the giants". There are no surviving pre-Christian stories about the Giant's Causeway, but it may have originally been associated with the Fomorians (Fomhoraigh) the Irish name Clochan na bhFomhoraigh or Clochan na bhFomhorach means "stepping stones of the Fomhoraigh". The Fomhoraigh are a race of supernatural beings in Irish mythology who were sometimes described as giants and who may have originally been part of a pre-Christian pantheon.

NOTABLE FORMATIONS

Some of the structures in the area, having been subject to several million years of weathering, resemble objects, such as the Organ and Giant's Boot structures. Other features include many reddish, weathered low columns known as Giants Eyes, created by the displacement of basalt boulders; the Shepherd's Steps; the Honeycomb; the Giant's Harp; the Chimney Stacks; the Giant's Gate and the Camel's Hump.

THE CAMEL

This section of rock has eroded to resemble a camel hump. The first feature is the Camel which can be seen sitting in Portnaboe (Port of the Cow). As you come to the end of your decent and at the base of Great Stookan (known locally as the Windy Gap), the path takes a sweeping right hand bend and across Port Ganny (Sandy Port) the Causeway formation

THE GIANT'S BOOT

The causeway also features tall, majestic chimney stacks and a large rock near the beach known as Giants Boot. While these features are awe-inspiring to look upon, and seem remarkable in their geometric symmetry, they are not particularly unique. Bassalt columns are common near sites with volcanic activity, and large lava rocks are not uncommon. One legend tells how Finns boot came off as he fled from the Scottish Giant Benandonner.

THE ORGAN

The Organ' is a section of huge basalt rocks set into the hillside near the Giant's Causeway, so called as they resemble organ pipes.

VISIT

Why not experience the Giant's Causeway for yourself? Visit the world-famous basalt columns with one of our knowledgeable tour guides, or pick up an audio guide and go at your own pace. Climb the Shepherd's Steps and hike along the cliff-top trail to get a bird's eye view of the beautiful causeway coast.

Unlock the mystery and stories of the landscape in the exhibition area of our award-winning visitor centre, which also boasts a cafe serving a seasonal menu, and retail zone where you can pick up locally sourced souvenirs and handicrafts.