Debunked: A new sculpture in Drogheda does not signal an Islamic takeover of Ireland
While the star and crescent moon motif is often used to symbolise Islam, the sculpture is part of a series which the artist says represents the astronomical alignment of sites in the Boyne valley.
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'This monstrosity of a thing here was put up by a Nigerian national who appeared in Drogheda somehow, claiming to represent the people of Drogheda,' a man shouts in a video viewed more than 227,000 times since it was posted to Facebook on 15 July. 'A Nigerian African has decided to put an Islamic symbol on the border of Drogheda.'
The man blames Sinn Féin for the sculpture, which he says is a 'declaration of war'.
'This is an attack on the white, Christian, Irish people,' he bellows.
The man goes on to say that the sculpture is a sign that Muslims will take control of the country within months, and references theories about fluoride in water, Ukrainian Nazis, the history of famine aid, and brainwashing.
These other claims are outside the scope of this factcheck.
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Local
media
reported earlier this month that two mythology-inspired sculptures had been unveiled by volunteers of Drogheda Tidy Towns.
The sculpture is named 'Boann, Goddess of the Boyne', referencing an Irish pagan deity. (Islam is strictly monotheistic).
While the sculpture does contain an image of a star inside a crescent, its proportions are different from those used in the Islamic symbols, such as that on the flags of Turkey or Pakistan.
The artist, Breda Marron, explained
on her website
: 'The symbol of the sun, the moon and the star relates to our ancient ancestors who were guided by the alignment to the sun, moon and stars, when deciding about the positioning of the many important sites in the Boyne Valley, such as Newgrange and Knowth.'
A similar sculpture that was also erected as part of the series has an almost identical base, though is topped with a spiral, symbolising a mythological sacred well where the River Boyne originated.
The man in the social media video's comments about the sculpture being erected by a Nigerian are also puzzling given the artist is an Irish woman.
Baseless claims that Muslims are trying to take over Ireland circulate frequently in Irish conspiracy theory groups.
This year,
The Journal
has debunked claims that the
most popular name
for newborn boys in Galway is Muhammad; that Ireland is establishing a
National Hijab Day
; that RTÉ is replacing the Angelus with a Muslim
call to prayer
; and that the
largest mosque in the world
is being built in Ireland.
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