Irish Folklore, Myth & Legend: Finn McCool & Giant’s Causeway

Once upon a time, there was a mythological Irish giant called Finn McCool who got himself into a spot of trouble with a high-tempered Scottish giant called Benandonner, who had made a claim for Finn’s island of Ireland.

Enraged at Bennandonnar’s claim to Ireland, the giant Finn McCool starts angrily throwing boulders into the sea off the Antrim coastline in Northern Ireland. Inspired by the way they fell into the water, Finn decided to use his boulders to make a bridge or a causeway – a Giant’s Causeway – all the way to Scotland’s Isle of Staffa. Using his causeway to Scotland, he could challenge his rival to a proper duel over the fate of Ireland.

Finn’s Giants Causeway stretches out towards the horizon and Scotland’s Isle of Staffa.

In a mythical world where size dictates winners and losers, Finn realises he has underestimated his enemy – Benandonner is a giant, even for a giant! Brute force won’t work on him – so Finn quickly returns to Ireland via his Giant Causeway and decides the best way to beat Benandonner is to con him.

Leaving the Giant’s Causeway for Benandonner to find, Finn McCool’s wife disguises him as a baby. When his rival arrives, he finds Finn’s wife Sadhbh (pronounced “Siive”) tending her enormous baby giant. Realising that Finn’s child was this big, Finn himself must be huge.

The Scottish giant Benandonnar hurries away, retreating back to Scotland with his tail between his legs. As he hurries home, he frantically tears away bits of the causeway, severing all ties between Scotland and Ireland to prevent Finn McCool from following him as he retreats to the Fingal’s Cave on the Isla of Staffa.

Incidentally, Fingal’s Cave shares a similar geology and appearance to the Giant’s Causeway! (Read about Fingal’s Cave on our sister company Wilderness Scotland’s website).

He is determined to leave Ireland and stay away from the giant Finn McCool, who regains undisputed control over Ireland once more.

Thus, the myth of the Giant’s Causeway was born.