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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Stone head

Rathdrum, County Offaly, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Stone head, Rathdrum, County Offaly, 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
Rathdrum
County
Offaly
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Not indicated
Latest-edition OS map
Not indicated
Coordinates
53.30494, -7.37932
SMR number
OF009-029003-

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)

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

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on well drained pasture land with good views of the surrounding countryside. The site of Rathdrum Castle (OF009-029001-) is situated on top of a circular mound which may been the remains of an Anglo-Norman motte (OF009-029002-). Rathdrum House which is located immediately to the SW of the castle site may have been built with stone taken from the levelled castle (OF009-029001-). A stone head incorporated into the fabric of the house may have originally come from the castle. This head (OF009-028----) was described in 1944 as 'over the door of Rathdrum House adjoining is a very crude oval head with features only just shown. The work seems so bad that I doubt if it is older than XVIIIc [18th century]; but it might have stood in the castle' (ITA Survey 1942, SMR File). This stone head was listed in the SMR as a possible sheela-na-gig that was originally incorporated into the fabric of Rathdrum Castle (SMR file). At present times there is not enough of the carving visible to classify this carved head as a sheela-na-gig, Today there is not enough of the carving visible to classify this carved head as a sheela-na-gig, although it is possible that this carving may originally have been carved as a sheela-na-gig.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). 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: 22 December 2011

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
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