Carrick-a-Reed, from the Scottish Gaelic ‘Carraig-a-Rade’ meaning “The Rock in the Road” – an obstacle for the migrating salmon as they searched for the river in which they were born. Atlantic salmon has been fished at Carrick-a-Reed and Larrybane since 1620. But it was not until 1755 that the first rope bridge between the mainland and Carrick-a-Reed Island was erected to reduce reliance on a boat to reach the island.