500 signatures reached
To: Westmeath County Council
Reclaiming Sionann for Athlone
Chose an appropriate street installation for Athlone that celebrates our heritage, our people and our town
Why is this important?
The “river god” statue chosen for Athlone misrepresents our native heritage and our rich culture.
It would be an affront to our heritage and people to use colonial male object from Dublin to represent the Shannon and Athlone.
The mythological Goddess Sionann, granddaughter of Lir, is our mythological river deity – not a concocted neo-classical god.
Misappropriation of mythology and gender in a time of national subjugation is not acceptable as a modern representation of our town, nor is representation of the town on the backside of a statue.
The concept of celebrating our river and our heritage is a welcome one and we call on the Council to do so by recognising our heritage – not replacing it.
We call on Westmeath County Council to revoke its uninformed selection.