Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Sheela-na-gig
Tinnakill (portnahinch By.), County Laois, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Tinnakill (portnahinch By.)
- County
- Laois
- Country
- Ireland
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.12807, -7.25123
- SMR number
- LA008-001002-
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
Two grotesque female figures were to be seen in 1918 in the farmyard wall to SSW of Tinnakill Castle (LA008-001001-). Present owner of the castle and farmyard stated in 1990 that they were broken up by person or persons unknown and buried. One was said to have come from a window jamb of Tinnakill Castle (LA008-001001-) the other from somewhere in Portnahinch (LA004-004002-) (Anon 1920, 262). H. Roe has taken photos of them and they can be seen in the Laois County Library, in Portlaoise. According to a website on sheela-na-gigs, Two sheela-na-gigs (LA004-004002-; LA008-001002-) were built into the coping of the gate entrance wall. One was part of the jamb of a window of the 16th century Castle, the other came from Portnahinch. Moved from this site to a house in the Dangans (Mrs. Fennelly) where they suffered a misfortune with a truck. Both it and the Portnahinch figure were broken as a result and were later used as building material. Nothing to be seen now. (http://www.irelands-sheelanagigs.org/archive/index-42071.php.html accessed 23 May 2012). Freitag recorded that the sheela-na-gig was rescued from the castle ruins (LA008-001001-) and re-erected in garden wall of private house together with the Sheela from Tinnakill (LA008-001002-). Due to an accident both figures were knocked down and later re-used as building material (according to Mrs Fennelly, owner of house). All attempts to find missing figures have failed’ (Freitag 2004, 145).
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload/revision: 23 May 2012
References
Anon. 1920 The Annual Excursion of 1918. Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society, Vol. IX, 262-3.
Freitag, B. 2004 Sheela-na-gigs: unravelling an enigma. London. Routledge.
Nearby in the register
- Castle - tower houseunder 1 mi
- Graveyard1 mi
- Sheela-na-gig1 mi
- Church1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.