Sheela-na-gig

The National Monuments Service's description

Rectangular graveyard with stone retaining wall which contains sheela-na-gig possibly incorporated into graveyard wall as recorded in the ITA survey of 1940. No trace of church inside graveyard. Burials c. 1852-1982. No trace of sheela-na-gig which was recorded by O. Davies in 1940 as, 'On graveyard wall is a primitive figure of shiela-na-gig type, modelled very square without shoulders, body short and stumpy; face oval and worked in two flat panes, the upper consisting of nose and forehead. The eyes are round and bulging. Eyebrows and nose join at right angles. The mouth is straight short and open. merely an ovoid hole. The rest of the figure is rather weathered, can make out 2 legs and probably 2 arms folded on stomach. Back and side legs rough and partly broken' (ITA Survey).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 06 June 2012

References

Irish Tourist Association. Surveys undertaken in the 1940s for the Irish Tourist Association (now Fáilte Ireland) relating to ‘Natural features, antiquities, historic associations etc.' Extracts from these surveys were copied into the Topographical files of the Office of Public Works and these have been incorporated into the Sites and Monuments Record files (National Monuments Service).