Turfs up! Early Medieval Brooch turns up in a Kerry Fireplace

In what must be one of the strangest discoveries of an archaeological object in recent times, a fantastic early medieval brooch has turned up, quite unexpectedly, in the range of a north Kerry house.

After lying buried for centuries in a nearby bog, the brooch was unknowingly unearthed sometime last summer, contained within a sod of turf, cut from the finder's own bog. It was only noticed when their grate was being cleaned out one morning, lying among the ashes of the previous days fire.

The sixth/seventh century object itself is a rare enough find from that part of the country and the suspected Christian imagery on it terminals is also highly significant.

I for one would like to extend my gratitude and heartiest appreciation to the original finders for their their honesty in quickly reporting the find to the proper authorities. It is most likely that the National Museum will reward the couple for their actions, which they rightly deserve. I hope it allows them a little financial comfort and/or indulgence. The 'Tullahennel brooch' is currently undergoing conservation and will be sent back to Co Kerry (where it rightly ought to be) for display in the Kerry County Museum.

See, its not that difficult is it?

When a responsible civic attitude and a streamlined legislative system for dealing with such antiquities swings into place, as they sometimes miraculously do in this country, then everybody comes out the better. Unlike similar occasions across the water, the state is not required to fork out an obscene amount of money in order to acquire it. The county museum is not required to fund-raise an obscene amount of money in order to buy it back from the state for local display. The original finders are rewarded for their honesty and quick reporting of an object that belongs to all the people of the nation, as opposed to claiming a finders fee and dividing the going market price between themselves and/or a landowner.

Its hardly rocket science now, is it?

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Great article. The same thought struck the two of us, on the same day, it seems;

http://heritageaction.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/early-christian-brooch-found-in-a-turf-fire/

Yours is a lot funnier though ;)

Great minds...