Whether
for fishing, traditional smokehouses, superb salmon dishes, Ireland
is king! Its many rivers, lakes, rivers and, of course, the sea that
surrounds it promote this national sport and delight fans as well as
regulars!
Wild salmon, highly valued and coveted, is strongly
linked to the country’s history, myths and folklore. But its smoked
salmon, coming from breeding is just as famous! Whatever your choice
of sightseeing and discovery, this is a surprising topic for
traveling in Ireland off the beaten path.
Salmon varieties in
Ireland
There are two varieties of salmon in Ireland.
–
Atlantic salmon, you have to come fishing early in the year. This is
the period when their weight is the largest, with an average of 4 kg.
To note, its
appearance is a bit like King
Salmon.
–
Grilse salmon, which is caught in June. It is present in the entire
river network of the country, its weight (1.8 kg on average) is more
modest and it is also more lively, offering great challenges.
Irish
waters are known for overflowing fish, and if salmon is popular, know
that you can also fish for trout, pike, perch and bass!
Salmon
and mythology … A typical Irish folklore!
Salmon has pride
of place in Celtic myths and legends. It represents wisdom and the
gift of omniscience, even the gift of prophecy. It is linked to
several Irish legends, here is the story …
The
salmon of knowledge and the tree of knowledge
In the fountain
of wisdom rose a hazel – or mountain ash – whose hazelnuts feed the
salmon swimming in its waters. These salmon are carriers of universal
knowledge and transmit it to the first person who tastes their flesh
…
Finn
MacCumaill and the Salmon of Knowledge, or Wisdom
The father
of the young Finn – or Fionn -, Cumaill, was the leader of the
Fiannas warriors, protectors of the King of Ireland. He was killed by
some of his jealous warriors. Muirne, Fionn’s mother decides to
entrust him to a warrior and a druid, who live in the hollow of the
mountains of Sliabh Bloom. They must hide and protect the child,
while transmitting to him the teachings necessary to be accepted
among the Fiannas: to defend and fight, to subsist in the nature and
to hunt, and even to control the magic to annihilate his adversaries.
Then, they send him to perfect his education with the poet Finnegas,
to acquire the knowledge. Finnegas lives near the Boyne River, where
he fishes every day hoping to catch the fish of knowledge. This fish
is a salmon, which once lived in the water at the foot of the tree of
knowledge and Finnegas dreams of acquiring this wisdom. After many
tries, it is finally thanks to Fionn – to whom he does not reveal
this secret – that he manages to seize the fish. The young man is
then instructed to cook it without however tasting it before the
poet. During the preparation, in spite of all the precautions that he
implements, Fionn is splashed and burns himself, he carries his
finger to his mouth to relieve the pain and thus becomes gifted with
the knowledge … The poet realizes it immediately to the gleam of
his eyes and send him back to the Fiannas, recover a leading position
…
Salmon is very attached to Irish culture, something that
seems to be a strong reason why Ireland is known as one of the
largest salmon exporters in the world.
