Exhibitionist figure (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

Now situated inside the Church of Ireland chapel in Ballyconnell village but originally found in the the townland of Mullynagolman (CV010-052002-). Large sandstone architectural fragment (H 0.2m; max Wth 0.33; D 0.3m) — possibly the apex of a doorway or tympanum, decorated with what appears to be an exhibitionist figure of unusual form. Figure comprises a long, oval, bearded face with staring eyes and high-set ears, no body, but wide splaying arms and legs, buttocks and possible representations of testicles. The left hand holds a small purse in the form of a human face, the right, a horseshoe-shaped object. Davies (1948, 116-7) believed that it originally surmounted the doorway of Mullynagolman round tower (CV014-052003-) — a theory refuted by Barrow (1979, 58) who-claimed it more likely came from the church at that site as the round tower doorway would have been too narrow to accomodate the large figure.

According to a website on sheela-na-gig this figure was found by K.M. Dickie in 1961 near the monastic site of Tuaim Drecon (CV014-052----), a few kilometres south of Ballyconnell, where church ruins (CV014-052001-) and a round tower (CV014-052003-) are no longer visible (http://www.irelands-sheelanagigs.org/archive/index-58272.php.html, accessed 23 May 2012). This carving which is now located inside the doorway of the Church of Ireland chapel at Ballyconnell was described by Freitag as a, ‘carving on arch-stone; long head with prominent ears, ovoid eyes with eyeballs, lower part of face mutilated. Figure with arms and legs, but no body. Sagging, apple-shaped genitalia indicated between widely splayed legs. Both hands hold and identical unidentifiable object’ (Freitag 2004, 143).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 23 May 2012