The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland
Located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is one of the most spectacular basalt formations of the Earth. The Giant’s Causeway contains about 40,000 basalt columns from a volcanic eruption that took place 60 million years ago. In some cases, the columns reach 12 meters high and the solidified lava accumulation of over 28 meters.
The dimensions of the phenomenon are such that, from time immemorial, the Irish have attributed their existence to the giants. According to legend, these creatures have the huge stones placed there for crossing the channel which separates Scotland from Ireland.
The Giant’s Causeway was discovered in 1693 and declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. Most of the basalt columns of these cliffs is hexagonal in shape, but there are also five, seven or eight sides. Despite being a natural phenomenon, the meticulous arrangement of hexagons suggests that they have been placed there by a mysterious hand.
The scientific explanation for the formation of these columns is in the process of cooling lava. If a stream is cooled relatively quickly, shrinkage occurs washed pushing upward and causes the formation of columns, the size and thickness depends on the cooling rate. There are numerous formations of this kind in the world, but it is possible that none reaches the spectacular beauty of the Giant’s Causeway.
The curious thing about this place is that the columns will decrease as they approach the sea, hence it is considered a road towards the sea where the giants could cross from one island to another. Plus most hexagonal columns have as occurs with old roads cavalry.
According to legend, two giants called Finn McCool (Ireland) and Benandonner (Scotland) were intimate enemies and throwing stones between them, this practice was formed a field of stones on the sea and the Scottish giant decided to spend walking the rocks to defeat the enemy.
Oonagh Irish woman her husband decided to dress baby and when he reached the Scottish giant, this thought the father would be three times larger than the baby and decided to flee stomping rock to Fiann McCool could not reach Scotland.