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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Sheela-na-gig (present location)

Balleen Little, County Kilkenny, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Sheela-na-gig (present location), Balleen Little, County Kilkenny, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Balleen Little
County
Kilkenny
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Not indicated
Latest-edition OS map
Not indicated
Coordinates
52.75247, -7.44398
SMR number
KK009-037004-

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1868 · 4. Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Sheela-na-gig built into a wall in a farmyard. The original location is unknown but it is likely that it come from either Balleen Castle (KK009-037001-), located c. 100m to the E, or Balleen church (KK009-038001-), located c. 200m to the SE, both on land attached to the farmyard. The figure is carved within a recessed frame (H 0.39m; Wth 0.27m) on the right hand side of a roughly rectangular slab (dims. H 0.45m; Wth 0.52m; minimum D 0.15m). Described by Freitag as a figure with a, 'Big, skull-shaped head with jug ears and strong facial features; thick ovoid eyes, flat wedge nose, deep striations on both cheeks, thick-lipped, open mouth displaying two rows of gritted teeth. Flat, pointy breasts at shoulder level; clearly marked ribs; big round navel. Arms in front of body with both hands reaching into vulva indicated as slit; fingers barely discernible. Legs widely splayed and bent; feet pointed outwards. A plait-like band hangs from left ear and disappears behind left shoulder’ (Freitag 2004, 133).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien and Jean Farrelly

Date of revised upload: 9 July 2018

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 3/1992).

References

Freitag, B. 2004 Sheela-na-gigs: unravelling an enigma. London. Routledge.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
All Sheela-na-gig (present location) in Kilkenny All County Kilkenny records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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