What are facts about the giant's causeway?

Answer 1

The rock formations were created by a lava flow some 65 million years ago by molten basalt rising through a chalk bed, and then cooling and cracking to form the tall columns that make up the causeway. The cracking produced interesting geometric designs, and although most of the columns are six-sided, others have between four and eight sides. The rapid cooling that took place is likely the result of the lava coming into contact with water. At the time of this monument's creation, Ireland lay near the equator, shifting northward with the movement of the tectonic plates. The causeway's 40,000 columns range in height, with the tallest around 36 feet high.

The legends and myths purport that the causeway was built by an Irish giant named Finn McCool as a way to walk to Scotland in order to fight his Scottish nemesis, Bernandonner. The story goes that Finn fell asleep before he could cross to Scotland, and Bernandonner came across to Ireland looking for Finn. His wife, Oonaugh, upon seeing that the Scotsman was much larger than her husband, cleverly wrapped him up, and passed him off to Bernandonner as her baby. Upon seeing this enormous baby, the giant Scot, thinking that the father must indeed be a larger giant than he, went back to Scotland, tearing up the causeway as he went, to keep the giant Irishman from coming for him in Scotland. There are similar formations across the sea on the Scottish side.