The Big Fish - Belfast, Northern Ireland
Posted by: 
Bush-Rescue
N 54° 36.087 W 005° 55.299
30U E 311285 N 6054366
The Big Fish is a sculpture that was commissioned in 1999 for celebration of the regeneration of the River Lagan. It is 10m long and made from ceramic tiles. The tourism website lists it under "see & do" but it is a short experience.
Waymark Code: WMY0BC
Location: Ulster, Ireland
Date Posted: 03/27/2018
Views: 11
"This 10m (32ft) salmon was commissioned in 1999 to celebrate the regeneration of the River Lagan and the historic importance of the site.
If you're visiting the Lagan Lookout, or admiring the Customs House, you'll notice a big fish sculpture beside the Lagan. It was created by John Kindness, and the most interesting thing about this fish are its beautiful blue scales, which are made up of ceramic tiles describing different scenes from the city's history.
Stop by this piece of public art for a selfie and closer inspection of the tiled exterior, which tells the story of Belfast." (cited from (
visit link)
Wikipedia says "The outer skin of the fish is a cladding of ceramic tiles decorated with texts and images relating to the history of Belfast. According to the Belfast City Council, each scale "tells a story about the city". Material from Tudor times to present day newspaper headlines are included along with contributions from Belfast school children (including a soldier and an Ulster Fry). The Ulster Museum provided the primary source of historic images, while local schools/day centres located along the line of the River Farset were approached to provide drawings for the fish.
The Big Fish contains a time capsule storing information, images, and poetry on the City."
(cited from (
visit link)
Even more interestingly, there is a rather new folklore (since it's built in 1999), that if you kiss the fish (use tongue) you will gain the fish's wisdom. Since it has printed a large amount of history on it, and contains that time capsule, this might be worth a try? Some even say it contains all the wisdom all the world. This is very enticing, but seems a little exaggerated. Still at some times you have to stand in a small line to get your kissing selfie.