There was a much, much earlier attempt to bridge the way to Scotland

That’s right. There were unfulfilled plans by a 19th century Victorian civil engineer.

But there was a much earlier attempt. The story is well known to us older generations but may be new to some younger ones.

The way I heard it, once upon a time the Irish giant Finn McCool fell out with a fella in Scotland. Something about a woman.

Finn grabbed a big handful of earth and threw it. Lough Neagh was born. The clabber fell a bit short and through time became the Isle of Man.

So the two boyos agreed a rock bridge to allow a hand to hand punch up but they both soon got bored and abandoned operations. Finn’s end is now a tourist attraction near Bushmills and the other fella’s, a bit less exploited, on the island of Staffa.

Davy Wight, Carrick