Many of the historical myths and stories of Ireland involve
fighting with England, Wales and Scotland. So it is with the
legend of the Giant’s Causeway, which folklore says was built by
the giant Finn McCool so that he could walk from Northern
Ireland to Scotland to do battle with his nemesis. Supposedly,
the battle didn’t go so well for Finn McCool; he retreated,
tearing up the causeway as he went, except for the portion that
exists today. Scientists have a more geological explanation for
the Giant’s Causeway. Their story starts with the lava flows of
Paleogene period—the same flows responsible for the cliff faces
for which the Irish coast is famous. Usually lava cools from the
top down, but in the area around the Giant’s Causeway, the lava
cooled from the bottom up, resulting in a cracking pattern that
looks like it was man-made. (Though such cooling is rare,
evidence of the phenomena can also be found in a few other
places, including spots along the California coast). At Spot
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