The Irish Legend of Finn McCool & the Giant's Causeway

Ireland, the emerald isle, is known for its lush green hillsides, the cliffs of Mohr and on its northern Antrim coast, a stairway of basalt columns that stretches into the sea all the way to Scotland.

- SUE EYRE

The Irish are also known for telling great stories, be they of leprechauns, fairies or giants. Let's explore the facts and fiction surrounding the legend of Finn McCool and the magnificent basalt structures that make up the Giant's Causeway and the Scottish Isle of Staffa.

THE LEGEND

There are more versions of this story than there are ways to spell Finn McCool…Fin MacCool…Fionn MacCumhaill…Fion macCumhal. Here is just one of those tales.

There were two rival giants, Finn McCool from Ireland and Benandonner, from Scotland. Finn decided to build a bridge to the nearby coast of Scotland to get a look at his opponent before challenging him to a fight. He completed the causeway in just two days and quickly crossed over to Scotland for a peek at the Scottish giant.

After discovering that Benandonner was much larger than he imagined, Finn returned home to ask the advice of his wife, Oonagh, even as he could hear Benandonner’s heavy footfalls following right behind him. Oonagh quickly came up with a plan. She dressed Finn like a baby and put him in a huge cradle by the fireplace.

OONAGH COOKS UP A PLAN

When the Scottish giant knocked on Finn and Oonagh’s door, Finn pretended to sleep in the cradle while Oonagh invited Benan donner into her home. She explained that Finn had gone hunting in a nearby county and that she was making his favorite meal of griddlecakes for his return.