The Big Fish facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Big Fish
Artist	John Kindness
Year	1999
Type	Ceramic
Dimensions	3 m × 10 m (9.8 ft × 33 ft)
Location	Belfast, Northern Ireland

The Big Fish is a cool sculpture in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's made from ceramic tiles and looks like a giant fish! This amazing artwork is 10 meters (about 33 feet) long. It was built in 1999 and you can find it on Donegall Quay, right by the water.

This famous fish often shows up in travel guides for Belfast. It represents a magical creature from old Irish stories called The Salmon of Knowledge. In these tales, this special salmon holds all the wisdom in the world.

How The Big Fish Was Built

The outside of The Big Fish is covered in thousands of ceramic tiles. Each tile is like a tiny picture or a piece of text. Together, they tell stories about Belfast's history.

The Belfast City Council says that every "scale" on the fish shares a part of the city's past. You can see things from old Tudor times to recent newspaper headlines. Even drawings by local schoolchildren are included! Some of these drawings show a soldier or a traditional "Ulster Fry" breakfast.

The Ulster Museum helped by providing many old pictures for the tiles. Schools and day centers near the River Farset also gave drawings. Places like Glenwood Primary School and St Comgalls helped make the fish unique.

Inside The Big Fish, there's a special time capsule. This capsule holds information, pictures, and poems about the city of Belfast. It's like a secret message to the future!

Why The Big Fish Was Made

This artwork was created to celebrate the new look of the River Lagan. The area where the fish stands is very important. It's where the smaller River Farset meets the River Lagan. Did you know that Belfast actually got its name from the River Farset?

The Big Fish project got money from a few different groups. The Laganside Corporation helped fund it. The National Lottery, through the Big Lottery Fund, also contributed. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland helped make this amazing sculpture possible too.

Images for kids

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  Location on a raised platform

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  Visitors viewing The Big Fish

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  Lit up at night

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  A close-up of the detailed scales

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  Another close-up of the scales