Ballyvourney
Ballyvourney Church, Co. Cork.
Situated above a window on the South wall of the Church in a victorian style setting. This is one of the few sheelas that still plays an active part in pilgrimage to this site, on the feast day of St. Gobnait (11 Feb) and rubbing of the image is part of that ritual.
Rumours of another image still kept by the parish priest and brought out on feast days.
6/9/04
Called in to Fr. O’Brien at the Catholic church and he kindly let me see the wooden image of St. Gobnait in his possession. Age unknown and used to be brightly painted, this wooden carving is about 2 feet long and portray’s a standing saintly figure. When this figure is on display in the Church, the ritual of passing tape over the statue is carried out. This is then cut into small pieces and given to poorly people in the parish.
As it was a very sunny day I was able to make out the lower rib cage depression on the sheela at the old church, but apart from the fact that this image has it’s hands joined in front, there are not sufficient features to make this a sheelanagig. And with the ovoid enclosure this may be a much later replacement for the original, if it ever existed.
Directions
Map No.79…GR No. W 110/770
Holiday Map South
Ballyvourney village is 15k WNW of Macroom on the Killarney road. St. Gobnait’s Church is just outside town on the South side. Look for the sign-post. More
keyword…Glebe
Last Updated: 9 September 04
