The base on which it stood on Binevenagh mountain, near Limavady

The statue in all its glory before being cut down

The Manannan Mac Lir statue which was found by the Bannside Ramblers

A six-feet-high sculpture of a Celtic sea god stolen from Binevenagh Mountain has been recovered by soldiers on a training exercise.

Manannan Mac Lir, a Celtic sea god made from fibreglass and stainless steel, was stolen from the mountain near Limavady in Co Londonderry last month.

The statue, by sculptor John Sutton, who has worked on Game of Thrones, had became a popular tourist attraction in the area since it was constructed last year.

Manannan Mac Lir was recovered in Binevenagh Forest on Saturday after ramblers spotted it and alerted troops from the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment who were on a weekend training exercise. The head of the statue had been damaged.

Local SDLP councillor Gerry Mullan said the damage had yet to be fully assessed, but added he was hopeful the sculpture could be restored.

"It is in police custody at the moment," he said. "I am very hopeful it could be repaired."

Cllr Mullan said he believed an outcry over the theft led to the statue being left back a short distance from where it had been stolen.

"There had already been a very extensive search involving at least 12 PSNI officers and a helicopter," he said.

Those who stole the statue last month left a wooden cross with the words "You shall have no other gods before me" in its place.

The theft prompted a campaign for its safe return and Limavady Borough Council had voted to replace the stolen artwork.

Belfast Telegraph