Follow Our Ireland Road Trip - Day 3

Basalt Columns, Forging, and Flexibility

Nov 17, 2025

12 Days in August 2024

Day 3

Hey, y’all! We are reliving the memories from our trip just over a year ago. If you’re finding this article, we highly recommend you read Follow Our Ireland Road Trip blog, Day 1 and Day 2 first to get a solid overview.

We decided to skip the morning plans we had and instead enjoyed a chill morning at the farmhouse. We enjoyed the brown bread, butter, jam and sparkling apple juice that had been thoughtfully provided by our Air B&B host.

On this morning, Joy and I figured out how to use the smallest laundry machine we had ever seen. This was amusing, as the laundry washes turned out to be an adventure for the duration of the trip! (Joy here- and by amusing, she means really frustrating!)

Today is all about Northern Ireland (NI) outdoor adventure.

Day 3 overview:

• Drive up to Bushmills and explore Giants Causeway
• Islandmagee Knife Forging Experience

OK, let’s dive in!

Giants Causeway

Majestic coastal views. Irish legend worthy.

How did it get its name? Legend has it that an Irish Giant named Finn MacCool created a causeway to get across the Irish Sea to face his rival, the Scottish giant Benandonner.

Alex was one of those Game of Thrones people, so driving up to see this area was initially for him. We had planned to get in a few other areas, but did not wind up getting them in so we could enjoy some down time :)

This was one of Joy's bucket list items so she was really glad to get there and experience it in person. For those that are unfamiliar, The Giant's Causeway is known for its unique geological formations. It has a series of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that is believed to have been formed by volcanic activity. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is often referred to as the 8th Wonder of the World due to its stunning natural beauty.

You can walk or take the bus tour to the top. There is a lot of history here (inside and out). If you are hungry there is a very nice café. If you want souvenirs, they have a lot to choose from at all price points.

We Forged Knives

Joy is the adventurous one and found this experience for us. The boys loved it and Joy and I learned some solid skills ;) (Joy Here - we also got the opportunity to practice flexibility as we were told there were no bathrooms on site - but if you want to hear about that, you'll have to listen to the podcast! )

First you heat the metal up in an oven that is over 1000 degrees. Then you pound it with a hammer till it gets to the shape you want. As it begins to cool, you have to heat the metal up again, then hurriedly start pounding away again. Then you grind it to make a sharp edge. It was a workout and completely unique! Our instructor was well versed in the craft and continues to make advances in the world of craft made golf clubs.

You can book your own experience by finding Aaron on Instagram, Facebook, or at SwiftsForge.com to see when he is giving lessons, or to purchase a custom piece.