Stone head OF009-029003- in Rathdrum

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Situated on well drained pasture land with good views of the surrounding countryside. The site of Rathdrum Castle (OF009-029001-) is situated on top of a circular mound which may been the remains of an Anglo-Norman motte (OF009-029002-). Rathdrum House which is located immediately to the SW of the castle site may have been built with stone taken from the levelled castle (OF009-029001-). A stone head incorporated into the fabric of the house may have originally come from the castle. This head (OF009-028----) was described in 1944 as 'over the door of Rathdrum House adjoining is a very crude oval head with features only just shown. The work seems so bad that I doubt if it is older than XVIIIc [18th century]; but it might have stood in the castle' (ITA Survey 1942, SMR File). This stone head was listed in the SMR as a possible sheela-na-gig that was originally incorporated into the fabric of Rathdrum Castle (SMR file). At present times there is not enough of the carving visible to classify this carved head as a sheela-na-gig, Today there is not enough of the carving visible to classify this carved head as a sheela-na-gig, although it is possible that this carving may originally have been carved as a sheela-na-gig.

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record OF009-029003

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National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
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Trenchspike, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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