The definitive guide to one of Ireland's most fascinating natural and cultural wonders. The Giant's Causeway is a place where myth and science meet. Were the spectacular basalt columns formed through the rapid cooling of lava from an underwater volcano, or created by mythical Irish giant, Finn MacCool? For centuries visitors have explored the causeway's unique rock formations. Today the Giant's Causeway is one of Ireland's most popular attractions, with three-quarters of a million tourists each year from all over the world. This book takes the reader on an illustrated tour of this unique place. With a wealth of recent research into the landscape, history, folklore, wildlife and the underwater world, it includes walks and driving routes through the beautiful surrounding north Antrim coast.

Once upon a time there was a giant called Finn MacCool who built a bridge from the Antrim coast in the north of Ireland, all the way to Scotland, to fight the big Scottish giant, Benandonner. This interpretation, by Randall Stephen Hall, is just one of the many stories of Finn MacCool, popular in Ireland, in Scotland and throughout the rest of the Celtic world. Some see this story as a metaphor for all the positive cultural and linguistic links shared across the narrow stretch of water from Scotland to Ireland and beyond.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1823 edition. Excerpt: ... made to discover coal. There is also a bed of red-ochre existing here, upwards of 200 feet in thickness. Such are the internal treasures of this very fertile peninsula, which abounds in several articles of exportation, sufficient to establish a comfortable and independent trading port at Larne, exclusive of its agricultural production; and probably Larne, from the great advantage of a sheltered harbour, may yet rank very high amongst the trading towns of the north. ISoait to ffilenarm. The road from Larne to Glenarm* passes at first through a country well cultivated, but rather thinly inhabited. Here, for a time, the scenery is tame, and the road sheltered; but at the distance of about two miles, the bold scenery of the Antrim coast, which continues to the very Causeway itself, may be said to be first unfolded. On the left stands Agnew's Hill, a long range of lofty precipitous mountain, 1,450 feet in height, presenting its dark basaltic brow. In the view of the country between the base of the hills and the sea, are seen scattered here and there a few solitary huts, and the little church of Killyglene, at the distance of two miles from Larne, is the only conspicuous emblem of civilization within view. The mineralogist should make a pedestrian excursion * Glenarm is ten miles from Larne, and 105 from Dublin. Fairs arc held here the 26th of May and 29th of October. along the shore from Larne to Black-cave Head, a low basaltic cliff, and thence to the bold promontory called Ballygelly-head. This latter is a specimen of the basaltic strata, in a state of incipient columnization. The different strata are composed of rudely formed pillars, whose joints measure from eight to ten feet, and all have a dip towards the land, as is the case along the...