What is recorded here

Seven inches of hideous flesh knelt inside Lusk Church, a headless face planted directly onto bare thighs. Austin Cooper witnessed the idol in 1783, but Reverend Tyrrell buried the strange creature before 1844. The earth swallowed the challenge, leaving behind only a forgotten hole and the memory of a body that refused to hide its own shape.

Unlocated possible sheela-na-gig located inside Lusk Church (DU008-010004-) where it was recorded and described by antiquarian Austin Cooper in 1783 as following; ‘the human features fancifully hideous; the face being seven inches broad, and the head without neck or body, being attached to a pair of kneeling thighs and legs’ (Anon 1914, 253; Guest 1936, 111). This figure was locally known as ‘The Idol’ (Clibborn 1844, 575). According to Guest this figure had been buried 1844 by the Rev. Mr Tyrrell. This event appears to have occurred at least a year earlier in 1843 if not earlier (Freitag 2004, 111). Its current location is unknown. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 28 May 2012

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