“You dare to challenge me?” said Finn,
“I, the Giant of Summer. You may think you have conquered me, you may even hold me prisoner, but in the end I will break out and the whole of nature will rejoice.”
There was no escape from battle now; both giants drew their swords, each with one foot in Carlingford Lough, and the other astride the mountains. They fought day and night with swords and on the second day with clubs.
On the third morning Ruscaire awoke early from the nights slumber, and while Finn still slept he crossed the Lough and stole the sword of Finn. He could have slain him as he slept but he had some honour.
When Finn awoke and found that his sword was gone and that Ruscaire had taken it, he fell into a great rage, picked up stones and fired them at him across the water.
A great battle of stone and rock firing began, thumping down and rocking the very foundations of the mountains. Close to where Finn stood lay the Cloc Mór stone, it weighed nearly 50 tons.
With a great effort, Finn, summonsing all his strength, gathered his great arms around it and hurled it at Ruscaire.
It landed on the unfortunates head. It crushed his great body back into the mountain where it melted away like ice beneath the stone.
Finn overtaxed himself with the mighty effort. He was exhausted and lay down on top of the smouldering volcano to sleep.
His head lay at the mountain top and his feet rested in the Lough. Such was his tiredness that he never awakened and as the years passed by, his great body turned to rock, and the outline of his body can be seen to this day.
If you look up at Foy mountain Carlingford from where you are standing now will see the outline of the great giants features.
His head and face on the peak and his body stretching towards the water’s edge.
For those who don’t believe the story, then scientific proof can be had by examining the rocks on Slieve Ban and you will find that they have come from Slieve Foy and visa versa.