The Footsteps of Finn MacCool: The Landscape of Giants in Ireland

Passed down from one generation to the next, Irish folklore is ingrained in Ireland’s rich culture. Tales of the brave giant Finn MacCool, leader of the Fianna tribe, are some of the most widely celebrated. These stories continue to be used to describe the landscape. The Giant’s Causeway, Lough Neagh, the Isle of Man, and Ailsa Craig—according to the mythology—all owe their existence to Finn.

Finn’s early life is recounted in The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn which is believed to date from the 12th century CE and was translated into English by John O’Donovan in 1859. Finn’s father, Cumhall, was a leader of the Fianna who were groups of roving hunter-gatherers spread across the island of Ireland.

Cumhall died before Finn was born when he was slain at the Battle of Cnucha (modern-day Castleknock) and his mother, Muirne, fled fearing execution. Shortly after his birth, Finn was sent to live with his aunt and was raised in secret in the forests of the Slieve Bloom Mountains (Sliabh Bladma in Gaelic). It was there that Finn learned to hunt and fight.

For years, Finn roamed the Irish countryside, and it is said that by the age of ten, he was already regarded as an outlaw and marauder, capable of committing plunder on anyone who was an enemy. With a magic sword as his weapon, Finn was a fearsome opponent.

Finn’s Famous Feud

Probably the most famous and frequently recounted tale about Finn tells the story of a feud with a Scottish giant called Benandonner. It is often used to explain several geographical features in the landscape.

If Irish legend is to be believed, Finn set about building a causeway so he could get to Scotland without getting his feet wet. This story concerns Benandonner, who decided he would fight Finn and stop him from reaching Scotland. Benandonner crossed the Irish Sea, but news of his journey reached Finn before he did. Finn returned home where his wife, Oona, dressed him as a baby. When Benandonner reached their home, he believed the baby to be Finn’s son and upon seeing the size of the baby was terrified of how big Finn would be.

To add further insult to injury, Oona offered Benandonner a griddlecake filled with iron which chipped his tooth. Oona ridicules Benandonner, telling him that Finn can eat the cakes without any trouble, and she feeds one to Finn—still dressed as a baby—to prove her point. Terrified of meeting Finn, Benandonner fled back to Scotland and smashed Finn’s causeway on the way back, creating the Giant’s Causeway as we see it today.

Neither Finn nor Benandonner ever attempted to fight in person again, but their feud continued to be played out across the Irish Sea.

It was during this feud that Finn is said to have scooped up a large chunk of Irish land to throw across the sea to Scotland, with the hope of crushing Benandonner. The hole this exposed is said to have filled with water, creating Lough Neagh, the largest lake anywhere in the British Isles.

He missed, however, and the clump of land landed in the middle of the Irish Sea, creating what we now know as the Isle of Man. As much as there is, of course, no truth in this tale, the Isle of Man is not dissimilar in shape to Lough Neagh although it is slightly larger; Lough Neagh covers an area of 151 square miles and the Isle of Man spans 220 square miles.

Another aspect of the landscape attributed to Finn is Ailsa Craig, an uninhabited island in the Firth of Clyde around eight miles off the Ayrshire coast. According to Scottish folklore, Ailsa Craig is a pebble that fell from the apron of another Scottish giant known as the Cailleach, who was crossing the Irish Sea because she hoped to marry Finn.

There is no firm opinion on who, or what, the myths of Finn were based on. What is certain, however, is that Finn MacCool’s impact on Ireland has been a significant one. The term “Fenian” stems from Finn’s name, with the folklore being known in Gaelic as the “Fhiannaiocht,” or the Fenian Cycle in English.

It was from this legend that the Fenian Brotherhood—an American organization that fought for the creation of an Irish Republic, free from British rule—took its name. Members of their Irish counterpart, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who led the Republican forces through the Easter Rising in 1916 and the War of Independence that followed, became known as Fenians.

Even during the more recent troubles in Northern Ireland, the term Fenian has been used to describe Catholics living in the country. While the modern usage of the term tends to be derogatory, it proves the importance of Finn as a symbol of the Irish identity.

The Causeway Coast: In Finn’s Footsteps

Tourism authorities have dubbed Northern Ireland’s north coast the “Causeway Coast,” and today its namesake, the Giant’s Causeway, is the most visited site in the country. There is no better place to learn more about Finn MacCool.

The Giant’s Causeway is open year-round and is free to visit on foot. However, purchasing a ticket also grants you admission to the Visitor Centre where you can hear more about Finn while also learning about the geography and geology of the landscape — and the more truthful reason the Causeway exists.

Not to debunk the myth of feuding giants, the Giant’s Causeway was actually created by volcanic activity during the Paleocene Epoch, around 60 million years ago. Molten basalt from the volcano flooded into the chalk, contracting as it cooled. This contraction caused the basalt pillars to fracture, leaving the causeway we see today.

If you prefer the myth though, paying visitors to the Causeway receive an audio guide that lets you listen to the story of Finn MacCool as you descend to the impressive stones.

While the Causeway Coast may take its name from the basalt columns, there is a lot more to see on a visit to this coastline. Every way you turn, there are more fascinating tales to be told.

Dunluce Castle, around five miles west of the Causeway sits on a basalt outcrop, connected to the mainland by a footbridge. The castle was built in the 13th century CE by the 2nd Earl of Ulster, Richard Og de Burgh before falling into the hands of the McQuillan family in 1513. They were defeated and pushed out of Dunluce by the MacDonald clan in the 16th century and the site was left to decline when the clan lost their fortune during the Williamite War of 1689 to 1691. It is now preserved by the government and is a remarkable sight.

Another of the coastline’s top visitor attractions is Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, around eight miles east of the Giant’s Causeway. The rope bridge connects the mainland with Carrickarede Island and is suspended some 30 meters (98 feet) above the sea.

Originally constructed by salmon farmers in the 18th century, the current bridge was erected in 2004. Salmon fishing ended in the area at the start of this century when salmon numbers were massively depleted, but the bridge remains an important tourism site and is the only connection between the island and the mainland.

Just two miles from the Giant’s Causeway, the town of Bushmills has become a thriving hub as a result of the Causeway’s draw for tourists. Long before those tourists came in their thousands, Bushmills was on the map for another reason: whiskey.

Old Bushmills Distillery is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world, having been granted a royal license in 1608, although the current distillery didn’t open until 1784. Bushmills whiskey is one of the most famous brands of Irish whiskey and is sold all over the world.

As far back as 1890, their whiskey was shipped to America and the Far East by their own steamship, the SS Bushmills. America quickly became Bushmills’s most important market, and the distillery suffered heavily during Prohibition. But Bushmills survived and today, the distillery is open for tours and tastings and is a fascinating activity to tie in with a visit to the Causeway.

The best way to travel the Causeway Coast is to drive its length by car, starting in Belfast and finishing up in Londonderry, both of which are full of intriguing history, albeit some of it rather troubling. It is possible to do the trip in one day, but an overnight stay along the route makes for a more relaxed journey.

Small guesthouses are dotted along the coast, with hotels in Bushmills and at the Giant’s Causeway itself. In the summer months, the coastal town of Portrush is a hive of activity making for an excellent place to stay.

If driving isn’t an option, Translink’s 172 and 402 bus services provide a frequent link to all the major attractions along the Causeway Coast, connecting with rail services in Coleraine and Portrush.