TreeAlive
‹ Sites and Monuments Record, Ireland

Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Sheela-na-gig

Clomantagh Lower, County Kilkenny, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Sheela-na-gig, Clomantagh Lower, 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
Clomantagh Lower
County
Kilkenny
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Not indicated
Latest-edition OS map
Not indicated
Coordinates
52.72536, -7.48536
SMR number
KK013-002003-

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)
  • 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

Get directions ↗

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

The National Monuments Service's description

Horizontal Sheela-na-gig located on the S face of a quoin on the SW corner of Clomantagh Castle (KK013-002001-), just below fourth-floor level. Described by Freitag as a, ‘large figure set within recessed frame. Head rests on long, thin neck; flat, droopy breasts, and wavy lines across upper torso indicating ribs. Left arm in front of body with hand touching square cavity indicating vulva; right arm bent at elbow with lower arm raised up towards side of head. Deep groove extending from raised arm to head may indicate hand or band. A somewhat thicker band is depicted on left side of head and disappearing behind arm (similar to Freshford). Legs widely splayed; knees bent at right angle with feet turning outwards. An elongated object is placed on pudenda’ (Freitag 2004, 128-9).

See attached photographs:
KK013-002003-_01 Upper storeys of S face of tower house with arrow showing Sheela-na-gig
KK013-002003-_02 Arrow showing Sheela-na-gig

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 6 June 2012

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 in Kilkenny All County Kilkenny records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
See your own family's places on a living map