A 44-year-old man was arrested in Belfast in the early hours of Sunday following an attack on the iconic Big Fish sculpture at Donegall Quay, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Authorities stated that officers received a report at 12:30 BST regarding a person damaging the landmark, and upon arrival, they observed significant damage to the sculpture’s left eye.
Arrest and Police Response at Donegall Quay
According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, officers located a 44-year-old man nearby shortly after responding to the 12:30 BST report. He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. Police confirmed he remained in police custody following the incident.
Photographs taken at the scene following the incident showed a large hole in the left eye area of the salmon sculpture, with fragments of ceramic tiles and other debris scattered across the paving below.
History and Design of Belfast’s Big Fish
Commissioned by the former Laganside Corporation to support the regeneration of the River Lagan waterfront, the landmark has stood by the river for approximately 27 years.
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The sculpture measures roughly 10 meters long and is covered in hundreds of blue-and-white ceramic tiles. These tiles feature a visual archive of Belfast’s history, incorporating historical images, maps, newspaper extracts, documents, poems, and drawings supplied by the Ulster Museum alongside contributions from local schoolchildren and community groups. The artwork’s location near the River Lagan sits close to the meeting point with the River Farset, from which Belfast derives its name.
Worth a look