DOLORES O'Riordan of the Cranberries likes to make statements. She made one when she brought her group to superstar status, making it one of Ireland's hottest rock exports, and she made one when she got married with her underwear showing.
Now she has chosen Dun Chaoin in the west Kerry Gaeltacht to make the kind of statement that certainly speaks for itself. But this time she has used bricks and mortar to proclaim her message.
Standing on a hillside dominating the scenic hamlet of Dun Chaoin, her sprawling holiday home is in the final stages of completion. Signs in the driveway warn curious visitors they shouldn't be there, and if they come to harm it's their own fault.
Her "mansion", as local people refer to it, is an eye catcher. Some think it is more a monument than a home, others say it fits in just fine. A slate roof is set off underneath by fine stone work.
A porthole side window is matched in the front by two huge windows followed by a further three, and what appears to be a conservatory in the middle before a more conventional structure joins the rest at right angles. Oh yes, and there's a round tower capped in slate to add to the overall design.
In Dun Chaoin, where the bungalow blight argument has raged for years, this is the daddy of them all. It will be a talking point for as long as it stands in the village which overlooks the crumbling stone houses on the Great Blasket Island - now deserted and forlorn.
And while the O'Riordan villa will spark discussion, the likelihood is that it will be no more controversial than the nearby Blasket Interpretive Centre which has aroused heated debate - mostly negative - as to the appropriateness of its design.
One neighbour of the superstar - "Mike" was all he would concede - said that a reporter from the Sun had been nosing around lately and he didn't trust journalists any more. "You needn't bother quoting me because all you fellows do is make things up," he added. Mr Brendan O'Connell, a vet on call in the area, said that the edifice was acceptable as far as he was concerned. "I don't see anything wrong with it. I think it's fine. It must have cost some money, though," he went on.
Designed by the Dingle based architect, Mr Michael Williams, the O'Riordan mansion has all the hallmarks of success. "You could fit three or four normal bungalows into it. What does she want all that space for?" wondered another neighbour aloud. "My name? get away with you. This is a small place, too small to be speaking out," she said.
But Mr Michael Mitchell, who will be Dolores O'Riordan's nearest neighbour, was quite content that the singer would be coming to live close by. "This is a very small parish, and most of the bungalows you see are foreign owned holiday homes. I don't see anything wrong with it."
Should such a large building have been given planning permission? "That's not for me to be talking about - I'll say nothing about that. About three months ago, she called in to say hello. She was very nice. The house has stables at the rear as far as I know. It should have been finished on St Patrick's Day but I think now there's another month or two in it." The cost? "Nobody knows," he added.
The other Mike - the shy one - said that newspaper talk of controversy in Dun Chaoin was wide of the mark. "There's no controversy about it. There was far more controversy about the Blasket Centre, I can tell you that," he continued.
The last word falls to Mr Brendan Mac Gearailt, the vice chairman of Kerry County Council. "Dolores O'Riordan went through due process and was granted planning permission like any other citizen," he said. Now she's entitled to her privacy.