WGW Sligo County, Ireland
Legends of Sligo
Finn Mac Cumail and the Split Rock
In the townland of Kileenduff, about a mile and a half west of Easky in County Sligo, there is an enormous boulder on the south side of the road called the Split Rock, which skeptics say was dropped there by a glacier. Legend, however, has another explanation.
Everyone has heard of Finn Mac Cumail (sometimes McCool) and his legendary band that wandered around Ireland performing great deeds and combating evil. One day the Fianna, as the band was called, took a break from hunting on top of Sligo’s Ox Mountains. The site was surrounded by large boulders, and one of group challenged Finn to a rock-throwing contest to see who could throw a stone into the sea, some 20 miles away. The challenger selected a small boulder, threw it, and it landed just short of the ocean near the mouth of the Easky River.
Finn started to pick up a large stone, but then spotted an enormous boulder that no other member of the Fianna could even pick up. He hoisted it, reared back, and threw it as hard as he could. The boulder landed a great distance away, but it fell short of the sea.
Finn was not one to take failure gracefully. Enraged by the laughter of the others, he leaped off the mountain and raced down to the boulder. He pulled out his sword, gave the rock a mighty whack, and split it in two.
It is said that one can safely walk through the gap two times, but if one attempts a third passage the gap will close and squish the person flat. Fortunately, I am a little too wide to attempt it even once.
contributor:
 Paul Burns
pabloburns@comcast.net
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Sligo County Ireland website © Sheila Helser
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