Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Sheela-na-gig
Lixnaw, County Kerry, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Lixnaw
- County
- Kerry
- Country
- Ireland
- SMR number
- KE015-127----
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Now located in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin (Cherry 1992, 6). Discovered in bed of River Cashen near Lixnaw castle (KE015-060----). Described by Freitag as a figure ‘carved in relief on one face of roughly rectangular block of coarse feldspathic grit, possibly old red sandstone, and badly weathered. Large head with pointed chin (somewhat damaged); bulbous eyes outlined by pecked groove. Pendulous, clearly marked breasts; broad shoulders. Flexed arms pass behind widely splayed thighs with both hands grasping swollen-looking, sagging pudenda from below, small touch-hole underneath. Legs splayed and bent with feet turned outwards. Figure holds a raised oval object under left arm in similar position as Lavey, Co. Cavan’ (Freitag 2004, 137). Cross-referenced with DU018-311----.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 06 June 2012
References
Freitag, B. 2004 Sheela-na-gigs: unravelling an enigma. London. Routledge.
Cherry, S. 1992 A guide to sheela na gigs. Dublin. National Museum of Ireland.