What is recorded here

Clenagh tower house in County Clare still wears a squatting sheela-na-gig on its south-east quoin stone, her arms joined around an oval depression marked by rubbing. The figure has no neck, barely discernible features and spindly legs splayed outward, as if born from the stone rather than chisled into it. Perhaps people touched that place for centuries, polishing anonymity into presence while the tower watched the land below.

The sheela-na-gig is carved onto a quoin stone on the SE angle of Clenagh tower house (CL051-052001-). It is described by Freitag (2004, 108) as a figure consisting of a ‘wide groove-like depression outlines the earless head; the facial features are barely discernible. It has no neck, and the breasts are only hinted at. The arms are kept close to the trunk and joined around an oval depression, indicating the pudenda and with signs of rubbing. It is in a squatting position with thin, spindly legs widely splayed and set at right angles, bent at knees, feet pointing outwards’. (Andersen 1976; 1977, 147, No. 67) Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien/Michael Moore Date of upload: 6 June, 2012

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.