What is recorded here

Sheela, a small stone woman with a deep hole where her vulva should be, was pulled from a holy well in Coolaghmore and later buried again in the graveyard beside the medieval church. She has no ears, no breasts, and one hand much larger than the other, yet her calm face and tucked leg make her seem more like a seated traveller than a warning. The stone may have marked water, birth, or the boundary between the living and the dead. In a county full of proud houses and forgotten fields, she remains the strangest neighbour of all.

Sheela-na-gig currently in Rothe House, Kilkenny. Discovered during clearance work in Coolaghmore graveyard (KK030-004003-) containing medieval church (KK030-004001-), and said to have been buried there in early 19th century, after having been discovered in a local holy well (KK030-004006-) (Freitag 2004, 130). Described by Freitag as a figure, ‘carved in the round. Earless, inverted pear-shaped head; facial expression calm, ovoid eyes, wedge nose and slit-mouth. Thin neck, round shoulders; no breasts, but slightly incised ribs. Fingers of right hand just touching vulva, indicated as vertical line and ending in very noticeable deep hole. Left hand (much larger than the other) may hold an object resting on thigh. Peculiar leg position reminiscent of Egremont; left leg almost straight with foot turned inwards, while right leg tightly flexed at knee with heel of foot pointing at pudenda’ (Freitag 2004, 130). Cross-referenced with KK019-026170-. See attached: KK030-004006-_01 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coolaghmore_Sheela-na-gig Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 6 June 2012

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