Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Sheela-na-gig (present location)
Cork City, County Cork, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Cork City
- County
- Cork
- Country
- Ireland
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 51.89633, -8.49460
- SMR number
- CO074-169----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Found at site of Cistercian abbey of Tracton (CO099-04303-) and now in Cork Public Museum. Sandstone block '141/2in in height, 12in in width and 8in in thickness' with curved section cut from lower left hand corner, which formed 'the side of a doorway or window, probably the latter' (O Ríordáin 1944, 56). Standing female figure, draped in cloak, carved on surface; triangular shaped face; hands hanging at sides of body; legs splayed exposing genital area described by Andersen (1977, 152) as 'very open and quaintly carved'. O Ríordáin (ibid, 57) noted 'the suggestion of a sword' on the figure and states that this (and the cloak) 'takes considerably from its hitherto accepted Sheela-na-Gig character'. No. 61 is Cherry (1992, 6) catalogue. Original location record CO099-088----.
Compiled by: Archaeological Survey Unit, UCC.
Date of upload: 20 January 2010
References
Andersen, J. 1977 The Witch on the wall: medieval erotic sculpture in the British Isles. London. Allen and Unwin Ltd.
Cherry, S. 1992 A guide to sheela na gigs. Dublin. National Museum of Ireland.
Nearby in the register
- Cross-slab (present location)under 1 mi
- Ogham stone (present location)under 1 mi
- Cross-slab (present location)under 1 mi
- Sheela-na-gig (present location)under 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.