Bluiríní Béaloidis is a podcast from the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin. It explores the rich landscape of Irish and European folk traditions. Each episode journeys through diverse cultural narratives, revealing how understanding our traditional heritage can illuminate our present and guide our future. By uncovering the stories, beliefs, and practices embedded in folklore, the podcast invites listeners to discover the depth and complexity of our shared cultural inheritance.

Salmon
For centuries, Irish communities have relied on the bounty of seas, rivers, and lakes for both physical sustenance and economic survival.

This episode of Blúiríní Béaloidis sees Jonny Dillon and Claire Doohan explore one of Ireland's most celebrated aquatic creatures: the noble salmon. Revered in both practical and symbolic terms, the salmon—known as 'the silvery fellow', 'the king', and 'the plum of the sea'—has inspired a wealth of lore, customs, and beliefs.

Distinct from other aquatic creatures, the salmon's ability to traverse both freshwater rivers and saltwater seas places it in a unique position in Irish tradition. Dillon and Doohan examine tales of daring poachers, dangerous plants, superstitious fishermen, and naming taboos, uncovering fascinating 15th-century riddles that persisted into 20th-century oral tradition.

From the mythic Salmon of Life (Bradán na Beatha) to the renowned Salmon of Knowledge, the episode explores how these tales intersect with 10th-century Irish-Norse relations and broader Indo-European narrative traditions, revealing how mythological creatures often serve as vessels for cultural wisdom and knowledge transmission across generations.