What is recorded here

Killursagh church in Ballymacgibbon North once held the stone before men moved it into a coach house, hiding its true form from later writers. Wilde saw a child in 1867 because the carving was damaged or obscured, but the figure is a Sheela-na-gig, exposed again in 2012 and now set in the porch at Cross village. She endured removal, misreading and age without disappearing, which is more than most proud things manage.

This record was listed in the SMR (1991) as 'stone sculpture (present location)’ but at that time the location of the stone was unknown and it was not listed in the RMP (1997). It was first recorded in 1867 by Wilde as a carved stone figure which he believed depicted a child. Wilde noted that it was found at ‘Cill Arsa’ or Killursagh church (MA121-137001-) in Ballymacgibbon North townland, but was removed from that church and built into a coach house nearby (O Lochlainn 1968, 157). In 2012 fresh information about the stone came to light. The carving represents not a child but a full figure sheila-na-gig which appears to have suffered damage in the past. It is currently affixed to a wall in the porch of the Roman Catholic church in Cross village in Dowagh townland, c. 800m to NE of its original location (MA121-137002-) at Killursagh church. See attached screenshots of 3D model of Sheela-na-gig created by Digital Heritage Age. 3D model can be accessed on the Sketchfab website at: https://skfb.ly/6qPBX Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 13 January 2015

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