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> How The Isle Of Man Was Created & Phinn Maccooil, Folk Story
manxman 
Posted: 02-Jun-2004, 09:50 AM
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There is an old tale told on the Isle of man about two giants. One was the Irish giant Phinn MacCooil and the other the Scottish. (Name forgotten - anyone know?)

They stood facing each other looking across the irish sea, threatening and glaring at each other. Suddendly, Phinn MacCooil scooped up a mound of earth and threw it at the scottish giant.

Where he scooped up his "mud ball" is now Lough Neagh, the large inland sea/lake in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, Phil's "missile" fell short of Scotland and landed in the irish sea. That's how the Isle of Man came into being.

If you look at the map, the isle of man could just about fit into Lough Neagh.

Not absolutely sure of spelling the giants' name. Anyone know?

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Manxman
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oldraven 
Posted: 02-Jun-2004, 10:17 AM
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I'd always thought Mac was a Scots thing, and Mc was Irish. But I'm not sure.

As for the Scottish giant. It wasn't Fingal, was it?


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Catriona 
Posted: 02-Jun-2004, 11:17 AM
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As far as I know, the Scottish Giant was not named - just known as 'The Scottish Giant'.... biggrin.gif

OR - the thing about Mac being Scots, Mc being Irish is a well-known fallacy! Both can be Irish or Scots - Mc was a contraction of Mac... used in writing names down. As lots of Scots emigrated to Ireland during the Plantation, the authorities used Mc as a shortform of Mac... which is why so many names which appear Irish have Mc...! The same thing happened when Scots emigrated to the New World.
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oldraven 
Posted: 02-Jun-2004, 11:43 AM
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Oh, well, thanks for clearing that up. smile.gif (truth be told, I've probably been told it was a myth before and just forgot) As for the reasons why Mac went Mc, there's always a perfectly logical explanation, isn't there. biggrin.gif
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manxman 
Posted: 02-Jun-2004, 01:30 PM
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Hi

There's some info on http://www.pacificnet.net/~fastoso/causway.html

Apparently the "Giants Causeway" in Ulster is also a left over from the battle between these two. Here the scottish giant is named as "Benendoner".

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Manxman
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Eamon 
Posted: 02-Jun-2004, 03:03 PM
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My family name is Coyle, and that name supposedly comes from Finn Mac Cumhail (Finn MacCool) so he is quite a popular figure for me. Oldraven, I have heard Fingal in relation to the story, but usually just a "Scottish Giant." Giants Causeway is a real lovely area of Northern Ireland...stayed at the Causeway hotel both times I was up there. Dunluce Castle just to the west is awesome as well. Careful for your whiskey lovers out there...Bushmills gives tours and tastings and it is close.

Eamon

P.S. If there are any climbers out there, on the tall side of the Causeway, there are some great 5.3 hand cracks that you can free climb...


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