The Giants Causeway

Back to Main Gallery

The Giants Causeway is a collection of 37,000 plus honeycombed shaped, 60 million year old basaltic rock structures in Northern Ireland near Coleraine and Bushmills in County Antrim. The Giants Causeway was formed from intense volcanic activity in the area. Molten Rock was forced up through fissures in the chalk bed to the lava plateau. This plateau is what forms the Causeway coastline. The larger fissures are the bands of dark rock that cut down the cliff faces and stretch out to the sea. These basalts formed in the middle basaltic period, contractions and variations in the cooling rate is what casued the columnar structure that you will see in these pictures.

The Giants Causway looking east Atop the Causway looking west Atop the Causeway looking west a third view from the top looking west The Chimney Stacks facing northeast   On the east face looking into the North Atlantic On the east face looking inland to the south Atop of the Giant's Causeway looking inland. Top of Giant's Causeway looking southeast Top of Giant's Causeway looking southwest

Legend has it.....that a fifty two feet six inch tall giant named Finn MacCool lived in Ireland. Another giant named Benandonner lived across the North Atlantic in Scotland. The two giants would yell at each other across the sea of Moyle arguing over strength. One day the two giants agreed to have a contest of strength, but in to make this possible, Finn the friendly giant agreed to build a rocky causeway between the two countries.