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Famed Irish Anglo protester mysteriously recreates Stonehenge on Achill

Working replica of English prehistoric monument built by political protester at a cost of over $1.3 million

By
CATHY HAYES,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Wednesday, November 30, 2011, 8:07 AM
Updated Wednesday, November 30, 2011, 8:07 AM

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A modern replica of Stonehenge, which has been dubbed “Achill-henge”
A modern replica of Stonehenge, which has been dubbed “Achill-henge”
Photo by Michael Mc Laughlin, The Mayo News


Achill Island native, Joe McNamara, known as “The Anglo Avenger” has baffled locals in his latest endeavors by building a modern replica of Stonehenge, which has been dubbed “Achill-henge”.

Last year, McNamara gained profile in Ireland following his protests against the bail-out of Anglo Irish Bank. The developer drove a cement mixer, with the words “toxic bank” on the side, into the gates of Ireland’s parliamentary building, Leinster House. He also abandoned the same truck outside Anglo’s Galway offices and parked a cherry-picker outside the bank’s HQ in Dublin.

His latest stunt is not quite so self explanatory. The structure on Achill is set to cost over $1.3 million (€1 million) to build. It is 15 feet high and 30 meters in diameter. According to reports in the Mayo News, McNamara has been planning for this build above Pollagh for six months.

“Achill-henge” is believed to be a working replica of the prehistoric English monument. It has been built to sync with sunrise on the summer and winter solstices and March and September equinoxes. What will be at the centre of the ring is yet to be revealed. Currently just a semi-circle structure can be seen.

This weekend, McNamara and a large group of men worked long hours on the structure, with 30 trucks arriving to Pollagh with pre-cast concrete.

Mayo County Council has taken the matter to the High Court.

The purpose of the structure is still unknown. It is thought that the final addition at the center of the structure could be of a political nature, given McNamara’s past protests.

Some Mayo locals speculated that McNamara was building an incinerator.

Mayo County Council planning officers inspected the site on Friday and called for work to be stopped. McNamara refused and the case is now being brought before the High Court.

A council spokesman said “the matter is the subject of ongoing enforcement proceedings and will be back before the courts this week”.

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9 Comments

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citizen69 | Dec 03, 2011, 05:33 AM EST
a great piece of guerrilla art... Leave it up!

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IrelandNorth | Dec 02, 2011, 08:29 AM EST
Gee! This guy is consistent, whatever ya may think. Wonder what the connection is though? An East-Anglian stonehenge replica on a west-Hibernian offshore island? I've got it! He's driving at Irish career politicians who stached their bulgy brown envelopes from Anglo in tax-free Caman Islands.

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PolinDeB | Nov 30, 2011, 05:41 PM EST
Yeah.. it's interesting.. he may be a fruit and actually was part of the problem, but feck he's the only one who's made a statement.. can't wait to hear more...

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merefalow | Nov 30, 2011, 01:20 PM EST
brilliant,the world needs men like this,he just goes for it,no bloody jobs worth control freaks for him,spontaneous mayhem,wish i could help.funny as something realy funny..

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RedBranch | Nov 30, 2011, 12:50 PM EST
What exactly did FF do in the Boyne Valley?

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sidhemajik | Nov 30, 2011, 11:05 AM EST
Very cool! I'd love to see the completed monument, sounds amazing.

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Murph46 | Nov 30, 2011, 10:26 AM EST
Awesome Joe,want to do some work in my back yard?

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CaptainCon | Nov 30, 2011, 10:13 AM EST
Could be quite ironic given the destruction wrought by the last government on the Boyne Valley. Some say that two organisations were disrespectful of our heritage in recent years- Fianna Fail with the Boyne Valley and Quinn Group by moving a monument to enable them to quarry- and that both were subsequently cursed! Perhaps McNamara is hoping for better luck by appeasing Eru and her sisters with this tribute.... he's an interesting character is Mr McNamara and I suspect he'll have at least a tourist attraction on his hands. Hope the locals weigh in behind him and send the Office of Public Works crowd packing as they might be on a winner here as people will come to see it and bring a few bob onto Achill. Like his style- the Victorians and Edwardians did the same with follies in the grounds of their country houses. Good luck to McNamara's Folly and maybe Eru will be amused!

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mcdolan | Nov 30, 2011, 10:04 AM EST
Ah leave the fella alone. It's a fitting monument on Achill even if it's modern! Doesn't Mayo CoCo have anything better to do? Unless the thing is built on someone's private property without their consent, what harm?

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