The Salmon's Story
Needs to Travel
We teach the full story of wild Atlantic salmon — from river to plate, from migration to hatchery.
Support the MissionAdvocacy, education, and the culinary culture celebrating a threatened species
Salmo salar — the leaper
“The wild Atlantic salmon is the canary in the coalmine for our rivers, our oceans, and our coastal communities.”
The Connemara Salmon School teaches from the river bank, the kitchen table, and the fly-tying bench. We connect people to the full lifecycle of Salmo salar — the extraordinary fish that navigates thousands of ocean miles to return to the river where it was born.
Our programmes span traditional fly-tying workshops, culinary demonstrations using sustainably sourced salmon, film screenings on the impact of open-net pen farming, and biodiversity sessions that place the salmon within the wider ecology of Ireland’s western rivers and estuaries.
But too many communities along the Wild Atlantic Way have never had access to these stories. The schools, festivals, and community halls that need us most are often the hardest to reach.
“Every river has a story. Every salmon carries it to sea and, against all odds, brings it home again.”Connemara Salmon School
Four pillars of the salmon story
Migration & Lifecycle
From redd to river, from smolt to sea — the extraordinary journey of a fish that navigates by the earth’s magnetic field to return home.
Traditional Fly-Tying
Hands-on workshops preserving the craft of Atlantic salmon fly patterns — connecting heritage angling skills to conservation awareness.
Culinary Culture
Celebrating the place of wild salmon on the Irish table — from smoking and curing traditions to the ethics of what we eat and where it comes from.
Advocacy & Conservation
The urgent fight against open-net pen farming, habitat destruction, and the policies threatening wild salmon populations across the Atlantic.
A mobile classroom for the Wild Atlantic Way
We’re raising funds for an all-electric Goupil G4 box van — a compact utility vehicle to be fitted out as a self-contained mobile classroom for fly-tying workshops, culinary demonstrations, film screenings, and biodiversity sessions across the west of Ireland.
All-Electric
The Goupil G4 is purpose-built for exactly this kind of work — compact enough for narrow rural roads, spacious enough to carry a full workshop kit, and electric because the salmon’s story is also a climate story.
Taking the classroom to the community
Schools & Youth Groups
Bringing hands-on workshops to rural schools, Gaeltacht areas, and youth programmes across Galway, Mayo, and Clare where transport is the barrier.
Festivals & Markets
A self-contained presence at community festivals, farmers’ markets, and heritage events — complete with demonstration space, film screening, and display materials.
Coastal Communities
Connecting with fishing villages, harbours, and coastal towns where the salmon story is lived daily — bringing advocacy tools directly to the people most affected.
Help us put the salmon’s story on the road
Your contribution funds the purchase and fit-out of an all-electric mobile classroom — bringing fly-tying workshops, culinary demonstrations, film screenings, and biodiversity education to communities across Connemara and the west of Ireland.