Sheela-na-gig (present location) in Kilmore (castlerahan By., Ballyjamesduff Ed) — Report the wrong picture

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Sheela-na-Gig sculpture found in 1842 in Lavey, County Cavan. It is on display in the Cavan County Museum. · Photo: Deadstar · CC BY-SA 4.0

What is recorded here

Kilmore holds one of two sheela-na-gigs now displayed in Cavan County Museum, Ballyjamesduff. The figure is carved on the left side of a rectangular stone that may have come from the medieval church at Lavey. Her broad hands touch the edge of her own body, and her long-toed feet stand wide apart as if still guarding a doorway nobody remembers closing.

The provenance of this sheela-na-gig is unknown as recorded by the National Museum of Ireland (Cherry 1992, 6). One of two sheela-na-gigs (CV026-052002-) now located in Cavan County Museum in Ballyjamesduff (see also CV038-071----). This sheela-na-gig figure is carved on the left hand side of a rectangular block which appears to be a quoin stone from the medieval church (CV026-052001-) at Lavey. It is described by Freitag as a sheela-na-gig (dims. H 0.47m; Wth 0.58m; T. 0.18m) with ‘figure flatly carved on left hand side of thick slab; upper left corner damaged. Large head set between shoulders; deeply set eyes, thick nose, open mouth showing gappy teeth. No breasts or ribs, but nave clearly incised. Thick arms reaching down in front of body; fingers of both big hands touch raised rim of vulva which is depicted as vertical groove with small, round touch-hole underneath. Short, stumpy legs wide apart, feet with extremely long toes turned outwards. On or under left arm (measuring 11cm in diameter) figure holds round object whose outline is incised on top of arm’ (Freitag 2004, 136-7). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 May 2012

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