Controversial 'cover up'

In recent weeks Sinn Fein councillor Cathal Newcombe said the sculpture of a woman was described by people as "naked" and akin to "pornography".

But now a new design has been submitted and the lady is substantially clothed.

The new suggested sculpture was on show at a meeting of Moyle Council last night (Monday) where Cllr Newcombe said he was sure people would now be happy that the sculpture "has clothes on".

When he was shown pictures of what the original planned sculpture apparently looked like he admitted that when he first talked about the issue he had not actually seen pictures of the sculpture and was only going on what people had told him.

He said in hindsight the messages he received from people about the look of the sculpture, which prompted his "pornography" remarks, were probably over the top.

But he said in the original sculpture there was still a substantial part of the lady's leg showing which he said may have been enough to concern some people.

And he said people coming out of Mass on Rathlin would have been confronted with the sculpture.

But there has been a new twist in the story.

Due to land ownership issues it appears the lady statue will not now be able to go on Rathlin and Moyle Council Chief Executive Richard Lewis said that the funders said it could move to Ballycastle instead.

Last night councillors agreed to that.

The statue is known as 'Fairhead Wave' and is reputedly linked to local legend about how Fair Head near Ballycastle got its name.

According to the legend, Fairhead was named from the tale of a beautiful fair-headed girl who once lived in a castle on Rathlin Island.

There was a battle between two suitors which led to one of them being mortally wounded. As he lay dying, he whispered to his servant to dance with the girl on the cliffs below the castle. The pair danced on the clifftop and before falling over it to their deaths. The body of the fair-headed maiden is said to have washed up on the mainland and this headland is now known as Fair Head.

It is believed the intention of the original 'naked' statue was to give the impression that the lady had been washed up on a beach but now her dress will cover up most of her legs.