Here Barbara Freitag examines all the literature on the subject since their discovery 160 years ago, highlighting the inconsistencies of the various interpretations in regard to origin, function and name. By considering the Sheela-na-gigs in their medieval social context, she suggests that they were folk deities with particular responsibility for assistance in childbirth. This fascinating survey sheds new light on a controversial phenomenon, and also contains a complete catalogue of all known Sheela-na-gigs, including hitherto unrecorded or unpublished figures.

The book tells for the first time the remarkable life story of John Hunt, one of the world's greatest medievalists and someone whose legacy to Ireland lives on today with most of the major cultural attractions in the Shannon region including Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and the Hunt Museum, owing their existence to either his initiative or generosity. Details of his family background are also provided which differ greatly from those previously published. This biography brings together a host of information about one of the most remarkable figures in the 20th century art scene, who collected treasures can be found in some of the world's major museums.

Trim, Co. Meath, is one of Ireland's best known medieval towns, and yet this is the first major work on the town for almost 150 years. Drawing on documentary, archaeological, architectural and cartographic evidence, the book pieces together a picture of Trim in the middle ages. The origins and evolution of the town are traced and charted in detail, as are its administration, its trading and commercial functions, its role as an ecclesiastical centre, and its topographical layout. The book puts the development of the town in the context of its pre-Anglo-Norman role, and against the backdrop of the extensive Anglo-Norman lordship of which it was the administrative, judicial and financial centre. As a case-study, this book is intended as a contribution to the understanding and interpretation of urban life in medieval Ireland.