Richard Collins: There are 27 surviving species of sturgeon

The tradition of giving the first sturgeon of the year — the  ‘royal fish’ — as a gift was not confined to Ireland and Britain

On April 2, 1966, the Árd Íde was fishing in Finian’s Bay between Portmagee and Ballinskelligs when a sturgeon was caught in its nets. The fish was kept alive on deck under wet sacks until the boat returned to Dingle.

According to tradition, the first sturgeon of the year is presented to the Queen. Our ‘monarch’, by then, was the president Éamon de Valera, so the Áras was contacted. Dev, however, asked that the fish be given to the Poor Clare nuns in Kenmare.