One of the beautiful places in the world can be found up along the north coast in Northern Ireland. Filled with mystery and surrounded by myths, The Giant’s Causeway is an area of outstanding beauty that should be on your bucket list for travel.
The Story
Once upon a time, a giant named Finn McCool, who is also known as Fionn Mac Cumhaill, lived along the north coast of Ireland. Benandonner, (the name means “Mountain of Thunder”) or The Red Man, was a giant in Scotland who was Finn’s rival. The two giants would often scream and shout at each other across the sea. Eventually, Finn challenged The Red Man to a duel after he threatened Ireland. Finn began tearing up great chunks of the Antrim coastline and hurling them into the sea. The newly-created path, which we know as the Giant’s Causeway, paved a route over the sea for Finn to reach Benandonner.
However, this turns out to be a bad idea as Benandonner is a massive giant, much bigger than Finn. Overwhelmed with dread, he retreated to Ireland, closely pursued by the Red Man. The legend states that during his hasty escape, Finn lost a boot that remains at the Giant’s Causeway to this day. In order to save himself, Finn retreats to Ireland and upon reaching his stronghold in Fort-of-Allen, County Kildare, Finn desperately searched for a strategy to vanquish his gigantic foe. The ground shook beneath the thunderous footfalls of Benandonner, which were so loud that Finn had to stuff moss into his ears to muffle the sound.
With his spirit shaken, Finn turned to his wife, Oonagh. She wrapped him in a sheet, disguising him as a baby and tucked him into a bathtub. Benandonner was greeted by Oonagh who excused Finn’s absence, telling the Scottish giant he was attending a deer hunt in County Kerry. She led the giant on a tour of her home, showcasing Finn’s massive weapons and serving a meal of griddle-bread with an iron griddle baked within it. This cost the Red Man five teeth. Benandonner then asked to see her child. He was taken aback by the gigantic size of the ‘baby’, none other than Finn, camouflaged in a sheet. When Benandonner sees Finn disguised as a baby he doesn’t realise it is Finn but he realises that if a mere baby is that big, the father must be far larger than Benandonner himself! Fear seized him, imagining the size of Finn, if this was the size of his infant. In a different, but more gruesome version, Finn, disguised as the ‘baby’, bit off Benandonner’s middle finger, draining him of his strength, and causing his permanent exit from Ireland. Either way, following this realisation, he fled back to Scotland, destroying the causeway in his wake to put as much distance between Ireland and himself as possible. As he fled, Finn is said to have hurled a chunk of Antrim earth at him, as a warning to never set foot on Irish soil again. The piece fell midway and formed the Isle of Man.
And the myth of the Giant’s Causeway was born.
How to get there
Driving from Belfast, it is easy to find. This is how we tend to visit when we take the family up there for a day trip. The Giant’s Causeway and Visitor Centre is located on the B147 Causeway road. It is 2 miles from Bushmills village, 11 miles from Coleraine and 13 miles from Ballycastle. Although it is not signposted directly from Belfast, there are road signs pointing to these towns to help you navigate your way there. If you aren’t confident about following the sign posts, use a sat-nav. Most map apps have the Causeway as a saved location for ease.
If you don’t have access to a car, regular bus services are available. Be warned, some of the routes are seasonal. They include:
- Ulsterbus Service 172
- Goldliner Service 221
- Causeway Rambler Service 402
- Open Top Causeway Coast Service 177
- Antrim Coaster Service 252
What to do
Walking along the Causeway Coast on a good day is a wonderful experience. The visitor centre is packed with things to do and there are plenty of staff who are happy to answer any questions you might have about the area. Once you have had a look around the visitor centre, there is a bus that will drive you down to the Causeway. However, you are always welcome to take the short walk down and breathe in the fresh air off the coast.
Once you are at the Causeway, you can explore the four walking trails which will show you the Causeway from different views. The Green Trail is an accessible cliff top trail where you can get an amazing view of the Causeway and spot birds. Along some of the trails, there are information posts which tell you the story and the science behind the rocks. If you don’t want to walk by yourself, there are guided tours throughout the day.
Fancy a side tour?
Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge is a great side quest to take on. This bridge was once used by fishermen and has been there in some form for over 250 years. Connected to the cliffs by a rope bridge across the Atlantic Ocean, Carrick-a-Rede Island is home to a single building, a fisherman’s cottage. The name, from the Gaelic ‘Carraig-a-Rade’, means ‘The Rock in the Road’, an obstacle for the migrating salmon as they search for the river in which they were born. The Rope Bridge crosses a 20-metre-wide chasm connecting to the island. It is one hell of a view from the bridge as you look over at the waters below.
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