Has the wild salmon, The Lordly Salmon as Brid Mahon entitles a chapter of her fine book Land of Milk and Honey, a future in these islands? To read some of the comment from rod and line men, the creature is indeed in a dangerous downward run. And yet, and yet the bulletin of the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards has the cheering news on its front cover of May 12th: "Over 800 spring salmon recorded already this season on the river Slaney" (Mind you, only two on the Liffey. Do you remember when the newspapers carried photographs of lines of anglers up at Islandbridge and the large sums that some hotels used to pay for the year's first salmon?) Anyway Michael Wigan in the English Field returns us to gloom by writing that infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) can spread from escapees from infected salmon cages and may cross over into the wild stocks. Sea lice, by the way, he notes are ISA carriers, and reminds us that one third of all salmon rivers in Norway have lost their wild stocks.
But back to Brid Mahon, and her book is subtitled The Story of Traditional Irish Food and Drink. She reminds us that not only was the salmon traditionally considered the most delicious of food, but it was credited with having magical powers. "To wish a person the health of a salmon was to wish them strength, agility and a long life. In Irish folk belief there is a mystical connection between the salmon and the life force. Bradan beatha was the life essence or soul. The most famous salmon in Irish mythology is to be found in the story of Connla's Well, around which grew nine hazel trees, which produced blossoms and nuts simultaneously. Whenever a nut fell, it was swallowed by a salmon, and for each nut swallowed a bright red spot appeared on the belly of the fish, which was known as the Salmon of Knowledge."
Then in the Fionn stories there is the incident of the salmon cooking over the fire and young Fionn is warned not to touch it, for whoever first tasted it would have all knowledge. Fionn watched anxiously and saw a blister on the skin. He pressed it with his thumb, got burned and sucked the thumb. "He had the first taste of the salmon and became the wisest of men." One of the wisest of men today, Ken Whitaker, has proposed a means of getting more of the wild salmon of knowledge up our rivers again. Will it be done? Y