Ireland’s first Golden Age – discover the story of Ireland’s prehistoric gold and the remarkable Mooghaun Hoard in this fascinating discussion with Mary Cahill.

In around 2500 BC, the first metal objects began to be produced in Ireland. Though the periods may be known as the Copper Age and the Bronze Age, another metal takes prominence in our understanding of the culture of the period – gold. Ireland is renowned for the quantity and quality of prehistoric gold objects. And every time I visit the National Museum of Ireland’s Ór exhibition, it is a reminder of the artistry of these early metalworkers.

But beyond being a symbol of wealth and status, these stunning golden collars, bracelets and ear-spools also give us insights into the societies that created them. They can inform us about art, meaning, belief and spirituality. The earliest golden objects were often thin sheets of hammered gold, that formed stunning golden collars known as lunulae, and golden disks that may hint at solar worship. As the period progressed, the scale of the golden objects vastly increased, from thin sheet metal to elaborate gorgets, dress-fasteners, neck rings and thick gold collars. Some of these objects were hidden together in hoards, such as the famous Mooghaun Hoard that was found during railway construction in the mid-19th century.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to talk about all that glitters with Mary Cahill this week. Mary is an Adjunct Professor NUI Galway; and the former Keeper of Irish Antiquities National Museum of Ireland. Mary is an expert in prehistoric gold, and she told me all about when gold first appeared in Ireland, what those early objects tell us of the societies that created them, and the discovery of that spectacular hoard at Mooghaun. This is a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion, I hope you enjoy it!

The usual disclaimer, that due to covid, this recording was carried out over Zoom so please do forgive any little audio wobbles that might occur.

Ireland’s Prehistoric Gold – Key Discussion Points

• Have you found any gold? – 45 secs
• What is the earliest known international evidence of gold being worked? (discussion on Varna, Bulgaria) – 5 min 42 secs
• Do we know the source of Ireland’s prehistoric gold – 13 mins
• Does Ireland stand out for the quantity and quality of gold? –  20 min 44 secs
• The reuse of gold – 22 mins 45 secs
• The Mooghaun Hoard – 28 mins 54 secs
• The Australian connection to the Mooghaun Hoard – 39 mins 30 secs
• What can the golden objects tell us about the societies that created them? – 47 mins 24 secs
• If someone was lucky enough to find a golden artefact, what should they do? – 1 hour 02 mins 30 secs
• The importance and accessibility of the National Museum’s collections – 1 hour 05 mins 30 secs

Show notes and links to further information

• You can find a collection of Mary’s writings on archaeology and Prehistoric Gold here.
• The National Museum of Ireland have information on Ireland’s prehistoric gold here.
• There’s an interesting article with lots of images about the early site at Varna, Bulgaria, here.
• You can see examples of the golden discs that Mary described here.
• The Coggalbeg Gold Hoard features on the 100 Objects website here.
• You can also see more about the incredible Mooghaun Hoard in the 100 Objects website.
• You can also see part of the Mooghaun Hoard in the British Museum website.
• Dr. Greer Ramsey also has a great overview of Bronze Age gold on the National Museums of Northern Ireland website.
• If you are fortunate enough to find something please call the National Museum of Ireland and ask to speak to the Duty Officer. Details here.
• As I mentioned at the end of the episode, we have something very, very, very exciting in the works that should be launched before the end of May. Do sign up to our mailing list (at the bottom of this page) to make sure you’re one of the first to see it. You will also receive our Monument Monday mails, where we highlight one of our favourite ‘hidden gems’ each week, so if you’re looking for a bit of Ireland in your inbox you might enjoy it!