Mythical figures across the land.

In Ireland mythology is everywhere, in landscape, place names, at sacred sites, wells and rivers.
Within cities too the work of artists and sculptors remind us of ancient stories.

Queen Maeve -  Bronze statue in Beresford Place, Dublin. Created by Patrick O'Reilly.

In places the Children of Lír still emerge changed by Aoife into four white swans. 

 The Children of Lír, Dublin Garden of Remembrance. Created by Oisín Kelly.

The Children of Lír, Lough Owel, County Westmeath. Created by Linda Brunker.

The Children of Lír, Ballycastle, County Antrim. Artist unknown.

Our goddesses, gods and heroes still grace the land.

Sculpture of Étaín and Midhir by Éamonn O'Doherty 

standing in the park near the Ardagh Heritage & Creativity Centre.

Princess Macha at the entrance to Altnagelvin Hospital, Co. Derry by F.E Mc William. 

Macha was said to have founded the earliest hospital in Ireland. 

Éire with harp by Jerome Connor, Merrion Sq Park, Dublin.

The dying Cú Chulainn by Oliver Sheppard can be seen in the GPO, Dublin

and is a memorial to the participants of the 1916 Rising.

 Bronze statue of  Cú Chulainn carrying his dying friend Ferdia 

by Ann Meldon Hugh, Ardee, County Louth. 

Lúgh Lámh Fhada by Séighean Ó Draoi on the shore of Lough Dunlewy

 at the foot of Mount Errigal, Co. Donegal

Manannán by Peter Grant, The Mall, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

Sea God Manannán  by Ann Meldon Hugh, Dundalk, Co. Louth. 

One has been taken

The stolen statue of Danu who once stood near the Paps of Anu, Co. Kerry.

and one has returned.

 Manannán Commands the Sea by sculptor John Darren Sutton. 

In a moment of syncronicity when I  began to write this post I heard that the statue of Manannán Mac Lír, stolen back in January and recovered, will be erected again to look out from Binevenagh Mountain, Co. Derry towards Lough Foyle.

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The Ever-Living Ones stolen from the Irish landscape.

Image © Neil Meroney

The sad news of the theft of one of the most powerful depictions of the sea god Manannán Mac Lír
was reported this week.
There has been much speculation in the media about whether the thieves who stole the sculpture
of the pagan god were of the Christian belief because of a wooden cross and copy of the first commandment left
in its' place.
I don't know the religion (if any) of those involved but I do know that a beautiful, much loved work
of art, which embodied Ireland's rich mythology and folklore, has now gone and that many in
the local community feels its' loss.

© JD Sutton

'Manannán Commands The Sea' was created by the artist John Darren Sutton and the figure stood
on Binevenagh Mountain, Co. Derry overlooking Lough Foyle.
I had not visited the statue and now will not have the opportunity to do so and neither will you.

If you are on Facebook you may want to visit and 'like' the page -
Bring Back Manannan Mac Lir the Sea God where you will find many peoples' photographs and memories of their visits to view him.

To read about the folklore of Manannán in my previous post, please click HERE

Unfortunately Manannán Mac Lír is not the only statue of an Irish deity to be stolen from the landscape.

Image: Google Maps

In 2011 a depiction of the goddess Danú by Sandra Bell was taken from the roadside near
Rathmore, Co. Kerry.
She was placed here because of the proximity to the sacred mountains, The Paps of Anu, seen in the background
of the photo above.

Image: © M. Counihan

It is most likely that the goddess Danú was stolen because she was made from bronze and therefore
worth a considerable amount of money. The sculpture of the sea god was not stolen for its' bronze content as he was created using fibreglass and stainless steel.

Whatever the motives of those who took him, many of us here in Ireland believe that the thieves
shall have no luck at all in their lives from now on.

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Anu / Danu

Anu, her hair flows out into the universe and her body is the land of Ireland. 

In Ireland the name Anu / Ána is that of a non-sovereignty, land goddess providing food, prosperity and protection in Munster. 

She appears in the old myths as Anann or Anand and is described as one of a trio of sisters, together with Badbh and Macha, called 'the women rulers'. 
We are also told that Anand is one name for the Morrigan.

Anu is also associated with Danu, whose name originates from the Celtic dánuv meaning 'flowing one' and she was later described as the 'Mother of the Gods'.



On the horizon are Da Chích Anann, 'the two breasts of Anu', Co. Kerry topped by cairns which give the appearance of erect nipples, their entrances aligned to the setting sun. 
Below lies Gleann Freaghan, Glen of the Ravens, birds associated with the Morrígan.

As a goddess of prosperity and abundance Anu gives milk and corn to sustain her people. 
In her right hand is the fertile land, a harvest of oats and wheat and in her left, the abundant sea and nourishing milk. 

At the centre of the painting is the well outside the northern wall of Cathair Crobh Dhearg, 'Fort of the Red Claw', at the foot of the Paps, which are the remains of a Neolithic monument. Also known as 'The City' it is considered to be one of the earliest settlements in Ireland and as such has been a place of spiritual devotion since pre-christian times.

To the right is the silhouette of Cnocbúi, 'mountain of Búi', another name for An Cailleach and to left, Beanna Bó, 'Cow's Horns', Benbo Mountain, Co. Leitrim.
In the centre is Toberaune, 'the well of Anu', one of six wells at Cnoc Barrainn, Knockbarron, Co. Offaly, the spring of which is surrounded by a stand of birch trees.

At the bottom of the painting Anu connects once more to water, the Salmon of Wisdom and the circle of life.

Below are photos from a recent visit to the Paps.

The Paps seen from the 'Fort of the Red Claw'

The well outside the northern wall

Words & pictures © Jane Brideson 2012