Causeway Coast AONB – County Antrim

The Fomorians were a dark and mystical fairy race in Irish mythology, who were here before the Celts and who occupied an important place in the myth and lore of Ireland.

Originally, they were said to come from under the sea. Later, they were portrayed as sea raiders and giants. They were enemies of Ireland’s first settlers and opponents of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the other supernatural race in Irish mythology; although some members of the two races had offspring such as Lugh Lamhfada who was the son of (Fomorian) Cian and Balor’s daughter Ethniu of the Tuatha Dé Dannan. These stories have been likened to other Indo-European myths such as the Æsir and Vanir in Norse mythology and the Olympians and Titans in Greek mythology.

Fingal’s Cave is found on the Isle of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides, just west of the Isle of Mull in Scotland. It is a sea cave, but not like any other cave. It is formed entirely of hexagonally jointed basalt columns, similar to the ones forming the Giant’s Causeway. The cave was named after James Macpherson’s 18th Century epic poem Fingal, which was inspired by the legend of Irish chief Fionn mac Cumhail who is said to have built Giant’s Causeway to reach his great foe over the Irish Sea. Composer Felix Mendelssohn visited the cave in 1829 while on a tour of Scotland and completed his Hebrides Overture, which is also known as Fingal’s Cave, the following year.

Musician and composer Dónal O’Connor has, since childhood, held a fascination with these ancient myths and legends, and he has developed a close affection for the music, song and culture of his nearest Celtic neighbours in Scotland, having performed and recorded with many legendary Scottish musicians such as Karen Matheson, Julie Fowlis, Ross Martin, Maeve Mackinnon and Phil Cunningham. Dónal loves the notion that the Causeway was not only a mythical gateway to Scotland but also a gateway to the otherworld, and his composition draws its inspiration from these themes and ideas.