I remember the first time I saw a photo of the Giant’s Causeway (not long ago, embarrassingly), hypnotized by the black hexagons under sherbet sunsets. “This has got to go on my bucket list! Where on earth is this place?”
Ireland? Really?
Well, Northern Ireland. Yes, it’s a different country, even though I never knew much about the distinction growing up. Ireland was Ireland: one island shaped like a happy ghost floating toward England (seriously, look at it). Of course now I know more about what separates Ireland into two countries, and I’m glad I finally made it up to the North.
On this blessedly sunny day, I was tagging along with my aunt and two cousins, one of whom studies at Queen’s University in Belfast. I intended to listen to our tour guide’s speech about how the rocks formed, but the views were too distracting. So I lagged behind to snap photos and just Googled it afterwards.
The Giant’s Causeway is made up of “40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.” If I were my eco-genius sister, I would explain this whole process further. Instead, I’ll give you a link to the Wikipedia article and a bunch of pretty pictures.
The more exciting version of the story is that the Causeway was built by an Irish giant, Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool). Finn was challenged to a fight with the much larger Scottish giant, Benandonner. He built the Causeway between Ireland and Scotland so the two could meet. In one version of the story, Finn sees how enormous Benandonner is from afar and realizes he can’t possibly beat him. So, Finn’s wife Oonagh dresses him up as a baby and puts in him a cradle just in time for Benandonner’s arrival. When the Scottish giant sees the size of the baby, he decides he’s no match for its father, and turns around and runs back to Scotland. Irish ingenuity triumphs!
Can you spot the camel?
Rocks affected by “onion skin weathering.”
Not bad for a school field trip.
Rosie
Grass or velvet?
Up next: Belfast and Dublin!
Ireland is beautiful feels like paradise
Great article and pictures, thank you . Im traveling there soon, can’t wait 🙂
It’s incredible place! The whole Northern Ireland is beauty!
Great view you have shown Meghan. Wanna have visit there one day 😀
Beautiful place and a great sunshine. Love it very much.
It is really beautiful day and I want to visit there one day.
Ireland is on my bucket list of places to see! Your pictures are stunning!
Waow very nice pictures! Thx for sharing 🙂
Thank you Claire!
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I hiked up this mountain in 2007 and still have a picture of it hanging in my living room! Beautiful picture but does not do the real thing justice. There is the best little restaurant just at the peak that has food to die for. If you are ever in Ireland definitely a sight to see!
Wow! Amazing! Your photos are incredible! Ireland has always been one of the top places on my travel list! This makes me even more excited for when I finally go! 🙂
Definitely try to take a trip there, waysofkelly! The hardest part is trying to decide which areas to include in your trip. So much to see and do.
gr8 images
So stunning. ❤ I had no idea about the story behind the causeway. I love those kind of old tales. It looks like beautiful weather there too (In spite of you being all dressed up in hat and scarf. Haha)
Reblogged this on JASMINiWORLD and commented:
Ireland is Love!! ❤
I agree, Jasmin! Thank you 🙂
Thank you for the flag on my blog. The images are geologically volcanic, so Ireland is everywhere. I was still not there in April – good trip.
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Great photos! I went to Giant’s Causeway in November last year! Whilst I did enjoy it, the weather was absolutely freezing!
I imagine the wind must have been brutal that time of year. We really lucked out. This was early April, and the skies were clear, the wind was mild. I suppose when visiting Ireland, the weather is like an unpredictable and grouchy travel partner you just have to deal with. 🙂
STUNNING pictures, my gosh! Just beautiful! I really hope to visit Europe someday (Ireland is one of my must-visit countries).
Thanks Koofa! I hope you get to fulfill all your travel dreams. 🙂
Great photos! Just what I needed to get me through the rest of the work day 🙂
Thanks Chris!
Those are a bunch of spectacular landscapes. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Sony 🙂
Great photos! I have been following your blog for a few months now. If you are interested in a few other things to do in Ireland I have been living in Dublin for the past 5 months and have lots of posts on what I have been up to here 🙂
Awesome, thank you Danielle! I will be sure to check out your blog and keep it in mind for my next trip to Ireland.
It’s nice to know that there are still unspoiled and natural areas of the world.
I agree. The National Trust of Northern Ireland does a great job of protecting the area.
Absolutely love your blog. Been following it for some time now, discovered it through looking for volunteer opportunities abroad. Ireland is on the top of my list to go to, so this post was great! And that grass really does look like velvet 🙂
Victoria, thank you! Please let me know if I can be of any help with your search for volunteer opportunities. GoOverseas.com might be a good place to start.
Love the look of your blog, by the way!
Wow..the rocks are all natural? That’s amazing!! The photos look gorgeous too!! 🙂
All natural, all formed by extreme heat (I think!). Very cool stuff. 🙂
“So I lagged behind to snap photos and just Googled it afterwards.” – haha, that’s exactly my way of traveling! I still remember clearly this one time I visited Warsaw in 2011 (I’m Polish, btw). I was with a friend and we noticed this nice, white building – we were quite sure *we’ve seen it somewhere before* – as in, somewhere in TV – but could not pinpoint what it was. We spent a good deal of time discussing it (this was before the mobile internet hit it; also, I just think it’s funnier to discuss than to check), but got nowhere.
Well, turned out it was an equivalent of the White House – the Presidential Palace. I still laugh out loud every time I remember what morons we were :D. But it turned out to be a great memory as well 🙂
Also, I vote velvet. No way this could be grass.
I like your style, girl. I’m totally an aimless wanderer who struggles with scheduling during my trips. But I never fail to get myself into interesting adventures and unlikely locales! And I’m so jealous that you got to explore Poland… totally should have done it while I was in Eastern Europe. Keep traveling lousily! 😉
That’s the only way I know how 😉
Great writing! Truly felt a part of this trip.
Thank you, Madam F.!
You know, in making my bucket list of top 5 dream destinations, I inadvertently left the Emerald Isle off the list, to the mortification of one of my good blogger friends. Was I wrong to leave it off?. Your pics are great
It’s hard for me to say, Rajiv… Ireland has always been so familiar to me. 🙂 What are the other options? There are so many beautiful places to visit, I think it’s impossible to choose only five!
Well, out of the top of my head I listed Mongolia, Iceland, Wales& Scotland, Slovenia, New Zealand. There is, of course, Scandinavia, the African Continent, the Xinjiang province of China & Tibet, South America…….That I left out!
Now it’s on MY bucket list! Wonderful capture.
Thanks Sydney!
Stunning! Love the giant rock chair and the mythology behind the place.
Thanks Andrea! My cousin and I spent an embarrassing amount of time photo-shooting on that giant chair.
As you should!
Beautiful photos! Sometimes to fully experience a place, it’s best just to zone out and learn later. That’s what the internet is for!
I agree, Erin! 🙂
so beautiful!!!! ❤ The cliffs remind my of Moher.
Thanks Suze. My grandmother is from County Clare and I’ve still never visited the Cliffs of Moher. Putting it on the list for my next trip to Ireland!
I absolutely loved Northern Ireland!
I also went to the really old swinging bridge, I thought that area was so pristine and beautiful! Did you get a chance to go to Derry/Londonderry? The history and city is so cool!
Your photos are awesome too =)
Pristine is definitely the word for this area, Adelaide! I didn’t get to visit the old bridge, but my cousin told me it’s a great experience. Also no Derry, just a couple days in Belfast. This is why I tell people I could visit Ireland a thousand times and not see everything I want to see. 🙂
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