IRELAND
JUNE, 2001
PAGE 9

These photographs are copyrighted by the photographers and cannot be duplicated in any form without permission of David E. Hancock and/or Darrell S. Richey.

The Giant's Causeway is seen as one of Northern Ireland's spectacular natural phenomenon. Its area consists of a mass of 40,000 mostly symmetric hexagonal pillars of volcanic rock--basalt. This mass is clustered like a giant honeycomb that extends hundreds of yards into the sea.

There seems to be different stories associated with the naming "The Giant's Causeway." Stories involve the Irish folklore giant, Finn McCool, who is said to have created the stepping stones to find a giantess love in Scotland or to reach his giantess love on the Scottish island of Staffa where the causeway can be see again. One story unfolds to reveal that there was a battle between Finn and the boyfriend of the giantess. In the battle Finn pulled out a chunk of earth and threw it toward Scotland, but this left a hole that became known as Lough Neagh and the chunk of earth became the Isle of Man.

   

   

Courtesy of: Darrell S. Richey

Courtesy of: David E. Hancock

Courtesy of: David E. Hancock

Courtesy of: David E. Hancock

Courtesy of: Darrell S. Richey

Courtesy of: David E. Hancock