{"id":180,"date":"2007-04-13T13:50:05","date_gmt":"2007-04-13T13:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.design42.com\/ireland\/?p=180"},"modified":"2023-08-26T12:44:58","modified_gmt":"2023-08-26T12:44:58","slug":"giants-causeway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.design42.com\/ireland\/2007\/04\/giants-causeway\/","title":{"rendered":"Giant’s Causeway"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Giant’s Causeway is a World Heritage Site in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, three miles northeast of Bushmills, the oldest distillery in Ireland, four miles from Dunluce Castle, eight miles from Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and thirteen miles from Ballycastle, where I stayed.
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\"Giant's<\/a> Giant’s Causeway appears to cross the sea to Scotland<\/figure>\n

Guidebooks say there are about 40,000 columns. They look almost like stepping stones leading from the cliff into the sea. Across the sea, on the Scottish isle of Staffa, the columns climb back out of the sea at Fingal’s Cave and continue north east to the island of Ulva in the Inner Hebrides.<\/p>\n

\"Columns<\/a> Columns are nearly 40 feet tall, like a four story building.<\/figure>\n

Nearly all the columns have six sides, but there are a few with four, five, seven or eight sides. Many columns are tall, very tall. Up to nearly 40 feet tall, like a four story building.<\/p>\n

\"Giant's<\/a> Giant’s Causeway formed when ancient lava contracted as it cooled, cracking the same way mud cracks when it dries.<\/figure>\n

How They Formed<\/h3>\n

Giant’s Causeway began with an ancient volcanic eruption.  Molten basalt came through chalk beds forming a very thick lava plateau. The lava contracted as it cooled, cracking the same way mud cracks when it dries. Because the lava was so thick, it left these pillars. Some of them also cracked horizontally. The horizontal fracture is cupped. The lower part of the column cups up, the upper part fits over it with a matching indentation. Guidebooks call it a “ball and socket” joint. But, it looks more just cupped to me.<\/p>\n

Giant’s Causeway Legend<\/h3>\n

Irish giant Finn MacCool, also called Fingal (or Fionn mac Cumhaill in Gaelic) was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Finn MacCool built the causeway to reach Benandonner.<\/p>\n

From here there are two stories. Some people say Fionn defeats Benandonner.<\/p>\n

In the other version, Finn gets to Scotland and realizes Benandonner is bigger than he looked from Ireland. He ran back to Ireland and hid. When Benandonner comes to search for him, Finn\u2019s wife wrapped him up to look like a baby. Benandonner sees the size of Finn\u2019s \u201cbaby\u201d and thinks Finn must be enormous. As he flees home to Scotland, he destroys the causeway behind him so Finn can\u2019t follow.<\/p>\n

My Visit to Giant’s Causeway<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/a> The trail to Giant’s Causeway is very easy and level.<\/figure>\n

There is a visitor center. I was early, so it wasn\u2019t open yet. You walk half a mile to the main area with columns. There is a tram, but I was too early for it.  I dropped in the visitor’s center on the way out.<\/p>\n

\"Hat<\/a> Hat I should have bought in Giant’s Causeway visitor’s center<\/figure>\n

You can walk anywhere at the site. Some of the columns close to the water are slick, so be careful. The water was extremely cold and deep.<\/p>\n

Nature Reserve<\/h3>\n
\"Birdwatchers<\/a> Birdwatchers were photographing this little guy, so I did too. I don’t know what he is.<\/figure>\n

Giant’s Causeway is a national nature reserve. There are a lot of birds, especially seabirds. There were birdwatchers trying to photograph them. I took a couple of photos, too.<\/p>\n

\"Sea<\/a> I think this is Sea Pink or Sea Thrift.<\/figure>\n

This is also a good place to see some unusual plants. Look at the different plants on the walk to the columns.<\/p>\n

Trivia<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Aubrey<\/a> The cover art was shot at Giant\u2019s Causeway.<\/figure>\n

Look familiar? Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis took the photos for Led Zeppelin at Giant’s Causeway. The inside cover art was shot nearby at Dunluce Castle.<\/p>\n

\"About<\/a> About 3000 miles southwest of Hawaii, near the equator, one of the world\u2019s most mysterious archaeological enigmas, Nan Madol is constructed of thousands of basalt \u201clogs,\u201c naturally prism shaped columns like the ones at Giant\u2019s Causeway in Ireland, each having between five and eight sides, up to 18 feet long and weighing more than five tons.
\nThe Mystery of Nan Madol ><\/a><\/figure>\n

Next: Dunluce Castle ><\/a><\/p>\n

Click any photo to start a slide show.<\/p>\n