A SHANNON-SIDE sculpture has sparked debate in Athlone, Co Westmeath in recent weeks.
Plans for a new sculpture have led locals to accuse the Council of sponsoring “cultural misappropriation” by installing a €60,000 work depicting the River Shannon as a bronze-faced male river god.
For critics, the sculpture is a slap in the face to Irish culture. They argue that it, firstly, revives of old colonial attempts to undermine Irish culture and, secondly, whitewashes an old Irish goddess, Sínann, from where the river gets its name.
Ireland has a rich history of public sculpture and many have proven controversial. Let’s see how well you know your Irish statues.
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