The Sheela-na-Gig Chase, Part 1

We set off from Dublin on Tuesday morning with a list of sheela-na-gig sites on our route to Kenmare. The locations are mentioned with pretty vague guidance, and all we knew was that it was on the public golf course in a town called Stepaside - so we set the GPS to the course and headed south. When the GPS said "Arrived" - we did not see a golf course, but we had passed a small par 3 course about a quarter mile back, so we drove there to see if it was the right place. It was absolutely beautiful and the woman running the place couldn't have been nicer - but we were not in fact at the right course. She knew where we should go, though, and it was just a bit farther along. Arriving there, we were again stunned by the beauty of the site, and excited to seek our first Sheela.

The young man at the check-in desk said if we paid the greens fee, we could walk out onto the course to try to find it. We didn't really want to do that, and he didn't know exactly where it was, so that seemed like a bad idea. Another gentleman there told us that if we wanted to see it, we'd have to write to the town council and someone would meet us there after the course had closed, and walk us out to it. Obviously that wasn't gonna happen, so we made do with the photo below, which shows the Sheela somewhere out in the wilds of the Stepaside public golf course.... We were sorry not to find her in person, but the word of the day was "Onwards!"

Again we set the GPS, this time for an abbey near Newbridge. We arrived at a very green intersection, trees overhead and no cars anywhere in sight, but a small gravel parking lot welcomed us. However, all we could find was a locked gate and a sign that said the property was closed to visitors and the building dangerous. We could barely see the abbey ruin through the overgrown trees and ivy, but walked around the site anyhow to try to find a way inside. We struck out, but did find a wonderful overgrown old cemetery there. Isn't it gorgeous?

Ever optimistic, and enjoying the chase, we next set our GPS to Blackhall Castle in Co. Kildare. This was reputed to be on private property, but notes indicated that the landowner was friendly. Arriving at the open gate, we noticed it said visitors were welcome from 2pm to 6pm. It was about 12:30, but we were on a mission; we entered and parked our car near the castle ruin - and directly in front of a pretty, modern house surrounded by gardens, barns and farming equipment. Horses grazed in the field up the hill, and wildflowers grew tall next to the castle. We heard noises indicating someone was at home, but nobody came outside to shoo us away - so we cautiously approached the castle itself.

Scanning the walls, I suddenly saw our first Sheela! Set into its own little cubby, she brazenly displayed her genitalia for all to see. Is this a good luck charm, a warning, "medieval pornography" or something else? This was not the original position or placement of the piece, which our notes say may have initially existed as part of Kilcullen Church. Many sheela-na-gigs were part of old churches, so this is as likely as not. I imagine that at some point the church decided these weren't appropriate images and removed them - but devoted locals held onto them and placed them into castle walls, gates, or other locations where people could continue to see and perhaps use them.

Wandering towards the back of the castle, we encountered a sweet calico cat rolling in the dirt, and two small ponies grazing in a paddock. Peeking into the barn, we felt we'd been transported to a James Bond movie when we noticed an old Jaguar parked behind a wooden cart, ready for the spy to make his escape... The whole place had something of a fantasy feel, in its bucolic perfection.

Thrilled by this success, we thought we would try our luck at another castle ruin reputed to be on private land. We had high hopes as we drove through the countryside, but couldn't find the place. It didn't seem to be where the GPS thought it should be. So we set our GPS to the Rock of Cashel, where we knew there was another Sheela in public view, and started heading there. Lo and behold, a castle appeared to our right, with the right name! We turned up the road and pulled into a parking lot, ignoring a sign that indicated we could enter the castle for a price... Nah, we thought, we'll just pace around it and find our girl.

Alas, the Sheela at Ballaghmore Castle is visible only from within the private gated area. We learned this after a bit of marching around, squinting upwards as we knew the figure was about 10m from the ground. A farmer came to his gate and asked what we were doing on private land - to which we replied we'd like to see the Sheela. He asked if we wanted a castle tour, but we didn't want to pay for that, so we said no - took a couple of pics and drove off with a sigh. Still, it was a beautiful site and we did see the location - if not the statue herself. And the locations themselves are worth the chase. We've found so many amazing spots, driven on small beautiful roads we'd have missed otherwise.

Our next stop was Rock of Cashel, where our wonderful Heritage Ireland cards got us in for free. These cards are a must for any tourist coming to see old sites around Ireland - at 40 Euro each, they're saving us all kinds of money! Newgrange, Cashel, and many other sites, about 100 all over the country. [OK, public service announcement over now!]

At Cashel we were just in time for a guided tour with a charming young man who told us all about the history and special significance of the place. The tour got us access to an old chapel within the complex, where we saw the remains of frescoes as well as small paintings showing how colorful and complex the originals had been. And then our guide mentioned the Cashel Sheela!!! We couldn't have been more thrilled, as most of the locals we've described them to hadn't heard of them. After the tour was over, he led us to the spot from which viewing was most possible, and we tried to see what was left of her. I'll attach a photo here, but I can't see much detail. Nevertheless, it was exciting to find the concept being taught in a tour! I'll leave the photo large below - the Sheela is just below the weed at the top left quarter of my photo. She's positioned sideways, with her legs appearing as sort of sticks to the right of her head (which to my eye is the most visible thing). The large black smudge in the middle may have been a deliberate attempt to obscure her genitals, I'm not sure. In any case - she's there and we saw her!!

That was it for the Tuesday Sheelas. We did go in search of more on Friday, which I will document in another post. We arrived at the Lansdowne Hotel in Kenmare at about 7pm, and had a lovely evening of food, music and pub chat. We are enjoying the friendliness of people - Americans and Irish alike - who seem to want to chat and share their stories with us. The Irish are delighted to hear how much we love their country, and the Americans all exchange stories of where they've been & where they're going next. It's delightful!