The Giants Causeway

The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland is a world heritage site. Thousands upon thousands of hexagonal basalt pillars disappear into the sea and show the causeway where Finn MacCool was challenged to a race from Ireland to Scotland by the bad Scottish giant.

In the version of the legend that my Dad told me the rules of the race were clear - the first of the two giants to touch the Scottish coast would win the right to marry some beautiful female giant. Both giants set off from Ireland at a furious pace but while running across the Irish sea the Scottish giant was clearly winning. Finn was falling behind. Finn knew he was going to lose and had to do something amazing to win! In desperation in the last seconds of the race Finn decided to do something pretty radical - he chopped his hand off and threw it at the Scottish coast. His hand flew past the Scottish giant and touched the coast first - he won the race, he won the heart of the beautiful female giant, and that was where the red hand of Ulster came from! Apparently.

The funny thing is the Giant's Causeway really does stretch all the way from Ireland to Scotland under the Irish sea. So maybe, just maybe, the story is true after all!