Shanes Castle
Shanes Castle, Co. Laois.
All that remains of this castle is one corner of the ground floor fortifications. After the castle was brought down, this area was turned into a walled garden, and now, even that has fallen into neglect. There is no record locally of a sheela here now and given that the hand (and the sword) of Cromwell passed here in 1650, there’s probably no one left alive to tell.
However a figure of hideous character was mentioned in the Ordnance Survey Letters of 1840.
Shaen=Sidheán=a fairy hill.
There is another Shanes Castle in Randalstown, Co. Antrim but it too has lost it’s sheela. Known as the luck stone of the O’Neills (1932).
Directions
Map No. 54…GR No. N 504/032
Holiday Map East (not marked)
North-East of Portlaoise about 6k and is marked Shaen Hospital. You can walk up the hill to the ruins if you want to.
Photos
Last Updated: 24 May 04
