During my visit I was very aware that the Lagan Rivers produces an unpleasant smell at certain times of day and I detected the smell well away from the river.
The Lagan Weir, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, crosses the River Lagan between the Queen Elizabeth Bridge and the M3 cross-harbour bridge.[ Prior to the building of the weir, the river would be subject to tidal fluctuations, and low tide would expose mudflats, which were unsightly and emitted a strong odour, particularly in the summer months. Opened in 1994, the weir was seen by the Laganside Corporation as a catalyst for its redevelopment projects and was judged to be the “centrepiece” of that effort. The weir also incorporates a footbridge.
Beside the weir is the Big Fish and the Glass Of Thrones. The Glass of Thrones walking trail along the Maritime Mile in Belfast features a unique series of stained-glass windows depicting key moments from Game of Thrones®. Baratheon window is at the Lagan Weir. House Baratheon – specifically The Red Woman Melisandre – is central here, reinforcing her significance throughout the series. You’ll see the death of both King Robert – which set in motion the War of the Five Kings – and arguably the show’s number one villain, Joffrey – depicted here. The burning fleet of The One True King Stannis during the Battle of the Blackwater also feature in this predominantly red window that represent either bloodshed or Melisandre herself.
BIGFISH OR THE SALMON OF KNOWLEDGE AT THE LAGAN WEIR IN BELFAST
This is a favourite of mine.
I first saw this when I went on a guided tour and the guide got annoyed with me when I asked if this was based on the Salmon Of Knowledge myth and he insisted that it was just a statue of a fish. For the rest of the tour I accepted everything that he said with a pinch of salt.
In 1999, in celebration of the return of fish to the River Lagan, the city of Belfast erected a sculpture titled The Salmon of Knowledge but locally called The Big Fish.
In 2006 I asked our tour guide if this sculpture was based on the Salmon of Knowledge and he indicated that he did not understand what I was talking about. Later I obtained the following quote from a local official: ” The scales on the Big Fish or Salmon of Knowledge sculpture celebrate the return of fish to the River Lagan”.
The Salmon story figures prominently in The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn, which recounts the early adventures of Fionn mac Cumhaill. According to the story, an ordinary salmon ate nine hazelnuts that fell into the Well of Wisdom (an Tobar Segais) from nine hazel trees that surrounded the well. By this act, the salmon gained all the world’s knowledge. The first person to eat of its flesh would in turn gain this knowledge.
According to a number of printed tourist guides that I examined “the Big Fish also called the Bigfish is a printed ceramic mosaic sculpture by John Kindness. 10 metres long and constructed in 1999 it is located at Donegall Quay in Belfast, near the Lagan Lookout and Custom House.”
There are also a number of seals nearby but I do not know is they are part of the original art installation.
The outer skin of the fish is a cladding of ceramic tiles decorated with texts and images relating to the history of Belfast. Material from Tudor times to present day newspaper headlines are included along with contributions from Belfast school children. The Big Fish also contains a time capsule storing information/images/poetry relating to the City.
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