Finn McCool. Or, perhaps, Fionn mac Cumhail?

When I first created this blog, I chose to acknowledge the mythical giant Finn McCool.
I live close to the North Coast of Northern Ireland.  Only a few miles from the Giant's Causeway, Finn's most famous creation.

There are various conflicting versions of Finn's legendary activities.  Until I started doing a little research on these activities, I didn't realise that he was also Fionn mac Cumhail.
Fionn was the leader of the Fianna Eireann, a group whose exploits form part of the Fenian cycle of Irish mythology.

The photo above was taken some years ago in Bushmills, which is a couple of miles inland from the Giant's Causeway.
The picture is on the gable wall of a house. It describes Finn as the 'Defender of Ulster' and has Loyalist paramilitary symbols at the top.

The people who put up the painting see Finn as an Ulster giant and, therefore, a Loyalist like them.
The fact that he pre-dates Protestantism - and probably Christianity as well - obviously escapes them.

They certainly aren't aware of any link with Fionn mac Cumhaill.  Not quite the loyalist Defender of Ulster the painter had in mind.

My research showed me that Finn McCool's Country isn't just the Causeway Coast, or even Northern Ireland, it's the island of Ireland.
But that's fine by me...I'm still going to use his name.