Birth of the River Boyne, The

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  • Teideal (Title): Birth of the River Boyne, The.
  • Uimhir Chatalóige Ollscoil Washington (University of Washington Catalogue Number): 840125.
  • Uimhir Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann (National Folklore of Ireland Number): none.
  • Uimhir Roud (Roud Number): none.
  • Uimhir Laws (Laws Number): none.
  • Uimhir Child (Child Number): none.
  • Cnuasach (Collection): Joe Heaney Collection, University of Washington, Seattle.
  • Teanga na Croímhíre (Core-Item Language): English.
  • Catagóir (Category): story.
  • Ainm an té a thug (Name of Informant): Joe Heaney.
  • Ainm an té a thóg (Name of Collector): unavailable.
  • Dáta an taifeadta (Recording Date): 28/02/1984.
  • Suíomh an taifeadta (Recording Location): University of Washington, United States of America.
  • Ocáid an taifeadta (Recording Occasion): evening class.
  • Daoine eile a bhí i láthair (Others present): unavailable.
  • Stádas chóipcheart an taifeadta (Recording copyright status): unavailable.

As a prelude to telling the story of Fionn MacCumhaill and the Salmon, Joe relates how the Boyne came into being.

The legendary Daghda, one of the gods of the Tuatha Dé Danann, had a daughter named Bo. Near their castle was a spring well that only the men of the castle were allowed to look into. One one occasion a little nut had fallen into the well, and a salmon put its head up and swallowed the nut; and the old people reckoned that that was the Salmon of Knowledge.

Anyway, one day Bo – being ‘a bit nosey’ – went to the well and looked into it, whereupon the well exploded and gushed forth as the River Boyne.

It was there that Fionn subsequently came upon the old man who was fishing for the Salmon of Knowledge.