Details: Written by: Automater; Category: 360 Tourism

Join us on a Trip to Causeway Ireland and check out the destruction of a volcano in these panoramic Vr Tour 360° map view Travel Locations

Link Location Gps ← Find Best directions

Gps Coordinates / 55.24117,-6.511993

The Giants Causeway Ireland Tourism VR Map Links

Bushmills Ireland BT57 8SU

According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool), from the Fenian Cycle of Gaelic mythology, was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet.

It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills.

Link Location Gps -6.512153

Gps Coordinates / 55.241639,-6.512153

In one version of the legend story, Fionn defeats Benandonner. In another, Fionn hides from Benandonner when he realises that his foe is much bigger than he is. Fionn's wife, Sadhbh, 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 would be unable to chase him down.

Cross the sea, are identical basalt columns at Fingal's Cave on Scottish isle Staffa, it's possible the story was influenced by this.

Link Location Gps / Gps Link -6.510436 / Gps Link -6.509669 / Gps Link -6.510947

Gps Coordinates / 55.240108,-6.510436 / 55.240022,-6.509669 / 55.240411,-6.510947

Sixty million years ago a huge volcanic eruption spewed out a mass of molten basalt, which then solidified and contracted as it cooled, creating the cracks that can be seen today. A World Heritage Site, there are an estimated 37,000 polygon columns so geometrically perfect that local legend has it they were created by a giant volcano, however some of the influential Irish locals would have you believe it was something to do with lore from 5.000yrs ago when he created the world in 6 days, jury is out on the lore

Nature was messing around with polygons long before game designers

Link Location Gps -6.511889

GPS coordinates / 55.241047, -6.511888

Irish mythology

In overall Irish mythology, Fionn mac Cumhaill is not a giant but a hero with supernatural abilities, contrary to what this particular legend may suggest. 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 (Fomhóraigh) the Irish name Clochán na bhFomhóraigh or Clochán na bhFomhórach means "stepping stones of the Fomhóraigh". The Fomhóraigh 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.

Giant Causeway Unique Hexagonal landscape feature Aerial View