Dolmens Are a Girls Best Friend

'Ballyfinboy Castle' : Sheela-na-Gig

TownlandBallyfinboy
CountyTipperary
Grid RefR 899 936
GPSR 89874 93594 (11m)
Longitude8° 9' 2.94" W
Latitude52° 59' 34.89" N
Nearest TownPuckaun (9.1 Km)
OS Sheet53
UTM zone29U
UTM x556997.6723769
UTM y5871831.9732001
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Visit Notes

Sunday, 29th August 2004

This happy looking Sheela-na-Gig is known locally as The Dancer and the best way to find her is to follow the signs for the Dancers Cottage B&B from Borrisokane. The carving is 4m above the ground on the southeast corner of the castle.

The ivy that smothers the corner of the castle seems to be kept clear of the figure, but on my visit it had started to creep back over the bottom edge. The figure is carved in false relief and is the sternest looking one I've seen yet. She seems to be staring out at you very angrily.

Her elbows are splayed out wide with her arms passing behind her legs to graps the vulva, which is slung in a very odd fashion below her groin. Her knees are splayed in a similar fashion to her arms and her feet point outwards. Her body is very plain.

I have read comments that she is considered to have be made for the castle, but I'm not so sure. The stone is of a different kind to the rest of the structure and the size of this quoin stone is bigger then the others.

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All Sites Visited On 29th August 2004    « Previous Site

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