List of hoards in Ireland facts for kids

Gold models of ship and cauldron, torc, from the Broighter Hoard

The list of hoards in Ireland comprises the significant archaeological hoards of coins, jewellery, metal objects, scrap metal and other valuable items that have been discovered on the island of Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). It includes both hoards that were buried with the intention of retrieval at a later date (personal hoards, founder's hoards, merchant's hoards, and hoards of loot), and also hoards of votive offerings which were not intended to be recovered at a later date, but excludes grave goods and single items found in isolation. The list is subdivided into sections according to archaeological and historical periods.

Neolithic hoards

The table below lists hoards that are dated to the Neolithic period, approximately 4500 to 2500 BC.

Hoard	Image	Date	Place of discovery	Year of discovery	Current Location	Contents
Malone Hoard			Antrim Danesfort House, Malone Road, Belfast County Antrim 54°34′16″N 5°56′42″W / 54.571°N 5.945°W / 54.571; -5.945 (Malone Hoard)	1869–1918	Ulster Museum, Belfast	19 polished porcellanite axes

Bronze Age hoards

The table below list hoards that are associated with the Irish Copper and Bronze Ages, approximately 2500 BC to 700 BC.

Iron Age hoards

The table below list hoards that are associated with the Irish Iron Age, approximately 700 BC to 400 AD.

Hoard	Image	Date	Place of discovery	Year of discovery	Current Location	Contents
Broighter Hoard		0000 1st century BC	Londonderry near Limavady County Londonderry 55°04′23″N 6°59′02″W / 55.073°N 6.984°W / 55.073; -6.984 (Broighter Hoard)	1896	National Museum of Ireland, Dublin	1 gold model ship 1 gold model cauldron 2 gold neck chains 2 twisted gold torc necklets 1 hollow gold torc or collar
Dooyork Hoard		0000 3rd century BC to 2nd century AD	Mayo Dooyork County Mayo 54°06′22″N 9°55′59″W / 54.106°N 9.933°W / 54.106; -9.933 (Dooyork Hoard)	2001	National Museum of Ireland, Dublin	4 gold torcs 3 bronze bracelets 7 amber beads

Roman hoards

The table below list hoards of Roman coins and silverware found in Ireland. There are very few Roman hoards in Ireland as it was never part of the Roman Empire, and those hoards that have been found are thought to have been looted from Britain by Irish raiders.

Hoard	Image	Date	Place of discovery	Year of discovery	Current Location	Contents
Balline Hoard		0390 late 4th century	Limerick Balline County Limerick 52°23′56″N 8°27′18″W / 52.399°N 8.455°W / 52.399; -8.455 (Balline Hoard)	1940	National Museum of Ireland, Dublin	4 silver ingots and 3 pieces of silver plate
Coleraine Hoard		0420 early 5th century	Londonderry Ballinrees County Londonderry 55°06′29″N 6°45′43″W / 55.108°N 6.762°W / 55.108; -6.762 (Coleraine Hoard)	1854	British Museum, London Ulster Museum, Belfast	1,701 silver Roman coins, a silver bowl, and 6 kg of silver ingots and hacksilver

Early Medieval hoards

The table below lists hoards that are associated with the early medieval period, from the introduction of Christianity until the start of Anglo-Norman settlement, approximately 400 AD to 1100 AD.

Hoard	Image	Date	Place of discovery	Year of discovery	Current Location	Contents
Ardagh Hoard		0900 early 10th century	Limerick Ardagh Fort County Limerick 52°29′42″N 9°03′43″W / 52.495°N 9.062°W / 52.495; -9.062 (Ardagh Hoard)	1868	National Museum of Ireland, Dublin	1 silver chalice 1 bronze chalice 4 silver-gilt brooches.
Derrynaflan Hoard		0900 early 10th century	Tipperary near Killenaule County Tipperary 52°34′01″N 7°40′08″W / 52.567°N 7.669°W / 52.567; -7.669 (Derrynaflan Hoard)	1980	National Museum of Ireland, Dublin	A set of liturgical vessels, comprising a silver chalice, a silver paten, a stand for the paten, a liturgical strainer, and a bronze basin.

Viking hoards

The table below lists hoards that are associated with the Viking culture in Ireland.

Medieval hoards

The table below lists hoards that date to the late medieval period, from 1066 to about 1500.

Post-Medieval hoards

The table below lists hoards that date to 1536 or later, following the reconquest of Ireland by Henry VIII of England. Most of these hoards date to the Elizabethan era (1558–1603), during which time the Nine Years' War (1594–1603) caused considerable instability throughout Ireland, but especially in Ulster.

See also

• List of hoards in Great Britain
• List of hoards in the Channel Islands
• List of hoards in the Isle of Man
• List of metal detecting finds