Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Northern Ireland Belfast 'The Salmon of Knowledge'

'The Salmon of Knowledge'

A giant sculpture of the legendary "Salmon of Knowledge" celebrates the return of fish to Belfast's River Lagan.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

katielou106 profile photo
Added By
katielou106
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Salmon of Knowledge.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
June 2019   kfornshill / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
The sculpture.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
The Big Fish.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
June 2026   Lana Velkov / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

"The Big Fish," also known as "The Salmon of Knowledge," is a sculpture made from a mosaic of ceramic tiles. You'll find it along the banks of the River Lagan in Donegall Quay, Belfast. 

The giant sculpture is based on a character from the tale "The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn." The story tells of a fish that eats some hazelnuts that had fallen into the Well of Wisdom. After devouring the nuts, the salmon gained all the knowledge in the world. According to the tale, the first person to eat the fish would then inherit all of its knowledge. 

This sculpture of the legendary salmon was constructed in 1999 to celebrate the return of fish to the River Lagan. Each of its tiles is decorated with texts or images that relate in some way to an aspect of Belfast's history. According to local folklore, kissing the fish envokes wisdom.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Community Contributors

katielou106 profile photo

Added By

katielou106

ssm67alba profile photo kfornshill profile photo mattfinnigan303 profile photo R rubyslipper1969 profile photo

Edited By

ssm67alba, kfornshill, mattfinnigan303, rubyslipper1969

  • ssm67alba profile photo ssm67alba
  • kfornshill profile photo kfornshill
  • mattfinnigan303 profile photo mattfinnigan303
  • R rubyslipper1969 profile photo rubyslipper1969

Published

August 6, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos

Related Tags

Fish Sculptures Legends Mosaics
'The Salmon of Knowledge'
Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 3NH
United Kingdom
54.601483, -5.921649

Nearby Places

River Farset

Belfast, Northern Ireland

miles away

Albert Memorial Clock

Belfast, Northern Ireland

miles away

Nuala with the Hula

Belfast, Northern Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Belfast

Belfast

Northern Ireland

Places 27
Stories 1

Nearby Places

River Farset

Belfast, Northern Ireland

miles away

Albert Memorial Clock

Belfast, Northern Ireland

miles away

Nuala with the Hula

Belfast, Northern Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Belfast

Belfast

Northern Ireland

Places 27
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

Fish Out of Water

List

By Jessica Leigh Hester

Related Places

  • Wahpper: The World’s Largest Catfish

    Wahpeton, North Dakota

    Wahpper: The World’s Largest Catfish

    A 5,000-pound fiberglass channel catfish perches on the banks of the Red River, occasionally taking a swim when spring floodwaters rise.

  • Ready to defend her people

    Mishawaka, Indiana

    Princess Mishawaka statue

    The Princess Mishawaka statue and story honor the legend of a Shawnee Indian heroine and promoted tourism in the 1930s.

  • Benny ready to flap as she scans the area

    Muncie, Indiana

    Benny

    Campus sculpture has earned a reputation for responding to the hopes and dreams of those passing by.

  • Krokodil im Kanal

    Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

    Krokodil im Kanal

    Local legend of a lurking canal crocodile takes on a life of its own with this sculpture.

  • Onalaska, Wisconsin, is the "Sunfish Capital of the World."

    Onalaska, Wisconsin

    Sunny the Sunfish

    This giant fiberglass sunfish welcomes visitors to Onalaska, Wisconsin, the "Sunfish Capital of the World."

  • St. Francis of the Guns

    San Francisco, California

    St. Francis of the Guns

    This sculpture was made out of recycled guns that were turned in to the city.

  • Kayakers visit the Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay

    Taupō, New Zealand

    Ngātoro-i-rangi Carving at Mine Bay

    This 46-foot-tall carving of a legendary Māori navigator can only be visited by boat.

  • ‘Sir Guy and the Dun Cow’

    Coventry, England

    ‘Sir Guy and the Dun Cow’

    This oft-overlooked public artwork depicts another Warwickshire legend.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.