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Boa Island Stone Figure
 

County

Fermanagh

Coordinates

N 54° 30' 22.0"   W 007° 52' 09.8"

Nearest town

Pettigoe

Grid Ref.

H 08511 61975

Map No.

17

Elevation a.s.l. (m)

51

Date of visit

Wednesday 27 May 2009

GPS Accuracy (m)

6
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The west face of the bilateral carved stone depicting a female figure with her tongue protruding between her lips.


These two stone figures are found together in the Caldragh graveyard on Boa Island.
The larger carved stone is a bilateral figure and is widely known as the Janus figure, even if it doesn't depict the pagan god Janus. The west face represents a female figure, the other face represents a male figure. The narrow sides where the two faces join are decorated with interlaced patterns. The top of the stone has a deep and broad groove whose purpose is unknown. People use to leave some coins in it as a gift to the deities. This figure is 1.27 metres tall, 50 centimetres wide and 35 centimetres thick.
A newly found fragment of the base of the figure has been placed against one side of the double figure, and shows two of the four hands of the two faces.
The smaller carved stone was brought here in 1939 from Lustymore Island and placed with its back facing the bilateral figure, 1.30 metres apart towards east. It's just 58 centimetres tall, 40 centimetres wide and 18 centimetres thick. It stands on a small square base 30 centimetres tall. This figure seems to be older than the Janus figure and it's more weathered as well. Some think it could be a Sheela-na-Gig.
The two stone figures are now protected under a canopy placed by the authorities in order to preserve them from the elements. This solution may impair the quality of the photos, but it's the best it can be done at the moment.

The whole graveyard is very ancient and according some sources it dates back from 400 AD.


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