Ireland History – Northern Irish History Belfast Dublin

Above: The Ardagh Chalice

The Tara Brooch, rightly referred to as a masterpiece of the jeweller’s art, was found on the strand at Bettystown near Drogheda in 1850. " The body of the brooch is of bronze, and is decorated with panels in fine gold filigree work, enamel, and settings of amber and glass. The ornament includes spirals, interlaced work, human heads and animal forms On the front the ornament is confined mostly to interlaced work ; the trumpet pattern may be noticed, however at the base of the pin-head and round the outer margin ‘ The back of the brooch is freer in style than the front .  The two principal panels are formed of a hard white bronze, inlaid with fine spirals, apparently of a copper alloy.  . The inlay of scrolls on the back is equal to penmanship ; and it cannot be too much insisted upon that the patterns and work of the brooch are quite equal in then-own class to the work of the best MSS.   Thus the fine wires of the interlaced patterns carry a minute beading which can hardly be detected by the eye, but needs a strong glass to make it apparent. Even the thin gold ribbons of the central interlacements and of those on the head of the pin, which are set on edge, have a similar minute beading on the edge of the ribbon. .  The ornament presents such a close analogy to the patterns of the Book of Durrow, and especially to those of the Book of Kells, that it is usual to assign it to about 700 A.D."1 certainly before the Viking invasions.
"The Tara Brooch and the chalice of Ard Achadh," says Prof. MacAlister, "between them illustrate all the materials, technical processes, and methods of construction used in ornamental work in Ireland during the early centuries of Christianity.

Above: Shrine of Dimma’s Book

Soiseeal Molaise, in the shape of a small oblong box, or cumhdack, was made for a copy of the Gospels believed to have belonged to Molaise who founded the monastery in Devenish in the sixth century. It is inscribed with a prayer for the successor of Molaise and for its artificer. Smaller than the Loch Eirne shrine, it seems to have been made in the first quarter of the eleventh century. Gold, silver, copper, bronze and red enamel were used in its manufacture.
The Domhnach Airgid, or cumhdach of St. Patrick’s Gospels, is a yew case, covered with bronze, and plated. It belonged originally to the See of Clogher. Both these cumhdachs are preserved in our national collection, as are the cumhdach of the Stowe Missal and the cathach or cumhdach of Colm Cille’s Psalter. The cumhdach of Dimma’s Book is in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin ; those of the great Books of Durrow, Armagh and Kells are no longer known to exist. A silver cumhdach of Irish manufacture is mentioned among the treasures of St. Gall‘s.    The cumhdach is peculiar to Ireland.
The Ardagh Chalice was found in 1868, with a bronze vessel and four brooches, near Ardagh, Limerick. This chalice, of the two-handled minstral form in use in the early Church, is composed of gold, silver and bronze, richly set with enamel, amber and glass. The number of chalices of its kind known to exist in Europe may be counted on the fingers of one hand : it is the only Celtic example that has survived. The names of the Apostles occur on the bowl, in letters an inch long, and corresponding with those in the Books of Kells, Armagh, Dimma and Moling. The chalice is thought to be contemporary with the Tara Brooch to which it is hardly inferior in execution and excellence. Authorities place it variously between the eighth and tenth centuries. The bronze vessel found with it is exceptionally well made and fits exactly into the chalice. One of the brooches is also very beautiful, though not equal to the chalice in design. Cormac mac Cuileanain bestowed a gold and silver chalice on Lismore and bequeathed a gold and silver chalice to Cashel.