NORTHERN IRELAND -  The Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient Volcanic eruption. It is in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland. It is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

It was named and a National Nature Reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.

The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (36 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres thick in places.

Around 50 to 60 million years ago, this area was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled, contraction occurred. Horizontal contraction fractured in a similar way to drying mud, with thecracks propagating down as the mass cooled, leaving pillarlike structures, which also fractured horizontally into "biscuits". In many cases, the horizontal fracture resulted in a bottom face that is convex, while the upper face of the lower segment is concave, producing what are called "ball and socket" joints.

According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool), was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. Fionn hides from Benandonner when he realises that his foe is much bigger than he is. Fionn's wife, Oonagh, disguises Fionn as a baby and tucks him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the "baby", he reckons that its father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants. He flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so thatFionn would be unable to chase him down. Across the sea, there are identical basalt columns (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at Fingal's Cave on the Scottish isle of Staffa, and it is possible thatthe story was influenced by this. 

IRELAND - The Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichíl) is an island 8 nautical miles off the South West Coast of Ireland and forms part of the Skellig Islands along with Small Skellig (Sceilig Bheag).Small Skellig or Little Skellig, is a smaller, uninhabited rock that supports the second-largest gannet colony in Europe. The island isinaccessible to the public and only accessible via special permission and climbing equipment. The island and monastery are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The word Skellig comes from the old Irish word "sceillec ", which means sharp, steep or jagged rock.

The island was originally known as Glascarraig, which means "Green Rock". Some time after the establishment of the monastery, Skellig was dedicated to Saint Michael. Thus, the island came to be known as "Skellig Michael" or "Sceilig Mhichíl" in Gaelic.The surface area of Skellig Michael is approximately 3.8 hectares. The majority of the surface area is on the island's steep slopes which are inaccessible to the public. Skellig Michael is composed of red sandstone . Two peaks, one on the north-eastern side of the island, where the monastery was founded, and another on the south-western, where the smaller hermitage is located. These are linked by a curved central valley called Christ's Saddle.

The monastic settlement on Skellig actually took place relatively soon after the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The establishment of the monastery is attributed to Saint Fionán. And our current best estimate as to the beginnings of a Christian settlement on the island date back to between the 6th and 8th Century. 

The monastery on Skellig Michael would have been one of a number of monasteries dotted along the Irish coastline, with a significant cluster on the South West coast, encompassing the Iveragh and Dingle peninsulas. The monks chose to establish the monastery about 167m above sea level on the slopes of the north-eastern peak of the island as it was sheltered from the fiercest of the prevailing winds.

IRELAND - Newgrange (Brù na Bòinne)

Newgrange is a prehistoric monument in County Meath, Ireland. It is an exceptionally grand passage tomb built during the Neolithic period, around 3200 BC, making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramid  

Newgrange was built by Stone Age farmers, the mound is 85m in diameter and 13m high, an area of about 1 acre (about 4000mq). 

A passage measuring 19m leads into a chamber with 3 alcoves. The passage and chamber are aligned with the rising sun, once a year, at the Winter Solstice, the rising sun shines directly along the long passage, illuminating the inner chamber and revealing the carvings inside. This illumination lasts for approximately 17 minutes. The sunlight enters the passage through a specially contrived opening directly above the main entrance. 

There is no agreement about what the site was used for, but it is believed that it had religious significance. Human bones and possible grave goods or votive offerings were found in these chambers. 

Newgrange is surrounded by 97 large stones called kerbstones some of which are engraved with megalithic art and the most striking is the entrance stone. The tri-spiral design is probably the most famous Irish Megalithic symbol.

Newgrange is a popular tourist site and is "unhesitatingly regarded by the prehistorian as the great national monument of Ireland" and as one of the most important megalithic structures in Europe.
Access to the Newgrange monument is via the Brú na Bóinne Visitors Centre.