Giant’s Causeway

Thursday, 3 May 2012

   The Giant's Causeway located in the town of Bushmills in Northern Ireland is an area of about 40000 basalt columns. It is the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. Some 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleogene period the intense volcanic activity cause an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled rapidly, contraction occurred which led to the formation of hexagonal columns, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12m high. The tops of the columns form a 3Km extension of stepping stones.
   The name of this natural wonder is explained by a legend. According to a legend the Irish warrior Fionn created a bridge to Scotland because he was challenged to fight a giant. Fionn turned out to know that his opponent was much larger than him. Fionn’s wife came up with the idea to dress Fionn like a baby. When the giant came to Fionn's house, Fionn's wife told him that Fionn was out and showed him her baby. The opponent saw the baby thinking how huge Fionn would be. He ran back to Scotland and parts of the causeway sank into the waters below.
   The discovery of the causeway hasbeen attributed to the Bishop of Londonderry. In 1694, at Trinity College, Dublin, Sir Richard Bukeley, presented a paper to the Royal Society which outlined this 'amazing' discovery' and so initiated the debate on how it was formed.
   The Giant’s Causeway was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. It was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. The Giant's Causeway is nowadays owned and managed by the National Trust and it is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.
   This natural wonder was featured in Led Zeppelin’s album Houses of the Holy. There is a similar stricter in Santa Maria, the Azores.

Diana Barros