Ireland: Museum Mania

National Archaeology Museum of Ireland

Wow! What a museum! Moe and I both agreed that this museum was stellar--and we're not museum people. 

As we entered the museum we saw a poster for "A History of Ireland in 100 Objects".

Objects have the power to tell us startling stories. They connect us directly with the people who made them and to the times in which they were used.

"A History of Ireland in 100 Objects" began in early 2011 as a newspaper series in The Irish Times. Now in pamphlet and book form it is a wonderful idea, drawing people from museum to museum in search of the 100 Objects--a verifiable treasure hunt!

I happily went on the hunt for one or more "objects" in this museum.

 Reconstructed Passage Tomb (3400-2800 BC)

Passage Tombs were burial monuments for the cremated remains of the dead. Usually a tomb consisted of a passage with a chamber at the end. This was covered by a mound of dirt or a cairn of stones

The Lissan Rapier

The rapier was found during turf cutting in Lissan, County Derry, Ireland. It is the longest known rapier found in Europe and was smithed in Ireland during the Bronze Age.

Lissann Rapier, center

 Amber necklace (900-500 BC) 

Long and beautiful

 Hollow Gold Balls (late Bronze Age)

Each ball is made of two sections soldered together and and are of graduated sizes. They are perforated suggesting that they were stung as beads in a necklace.  

The Natioanl Museum in Ireland has nine, one is in the British Museum and one remains lost.

Gold Earring (1200-1000 BC)

These are 3000 year old earrings! You can find similar ones today--that's an enduring style.

Mesolithic Fish Traps (5300-4730 BC)

This find is one of "The 100 Objects"

 Four conical fish traps woven of rods of wood were excavated from an Irish bog in 2006.  The traps would have been positioned on the bed of a small lake adjacent to a mooring or walkways.

Because of the bog's natural preservative qualities wooden traps survived for 7,300 years in good condition. They are similar to fish traps used in S.E. Asia today.

Music

They love music mightily, and of all instruments are particularly taken with the Harp, which being strung with brass wire, and beaten with crooked nails, is very melodious. They use the bag-pipe in their war instead of a trumpet.

Fr. John Good, English Jesuit, writing c. 1550

Torc (3rd century BC-3rd century AD)

The word comes from Latin and means "to twist". Although they were most often rigid neck rings, there were also bracelets with this shape. Basic torcs were made from intertwined metal rods, or "ropes" of twisted wires.

This torc is made from twisted gold ribbon.

Gold collar (800-700 BC)

The Tara Brooch (700 AD)

This celtic brooch was most likely made for a wealthy patron. The design, the techniques of workmanship (including filigree and inlaying) and the gold, silver, copper, amber and glass are all of high quality, and exemplify the advanced state of gold smithing in Ireland in the seventh century. 

Other brooches (8th-9th century AD)

The Cross of Cong (early 12th century)

The Cross of Cong is a processional cross designed to be placed atop a staff. It is also a reliquary designed to hold a piece of the purported True Cross. 

It is inscribed, " Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht and High King of Ireland".  After commissioning its creation, the King donated the cross to the Cathedral church in County Galway. The cross was later moved to Cong, County Mayo, hence it's name.