List of hoards in Ireland


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. It includes both hoards that were buried with the intention of retrieval at a later date, 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.
HoardImageDatePlace of discoveryYear of discoveryCurrent LocationContents
Malone Hoard
County Antrim
1869–1918Ulster Museum, Belfast19 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.
HoardImageDatePlace of discoveryYear of discoveryCurrent LocationContents
Ballinesker Hoard
County Wexford
1990National Museum of Ireland, Dublin2 gold dress fasteners
1 gold bracelet
2 gold disks
3 gold boxes
Ballytegan Hoard
County Laois
1967National Museum of Ireland, Dublin2 bronze axeheads, 1 bronze bracelet, and a number of bronze rings and pins
Coggalbeg Hoard
County Roscommon
1945National Museum of Ireland, Dublin1 gold lunula
2 gold discs
Derrinboy Hoard
County Offaly
1957 or 1958National Museum of Ireland, Dublin1 gold necklet
2 gold armlets
2 gold rings
Dowris Hoard
County Offaly
1825 or 1833National Museum of Ireland, Dublin
British Museum, London
5 swords
44 spearheads
43 axes
26 horns
44 crotals
3 bronze buckets
1 cauldron
Kilmoyly Hoard
County Kerry
1940National Museum of Ireland, Dublin3 gold bracelets
1 gold dress-fastener
Mooghaun North HoardLate Bronze Agenear Mooghaun Fort, County Clare1854Mostly lost; 29 pieces in National Museum of Ireland and British MuseumProbably over 200 gold objects, mostly plain bar bracelets, with torcs, collars and ingots

Iron Age hoards

The table below list hoards that are associated with the Irish Iron Age, approximately 700 BC to 400 AD.
HoardImageDatePlace of discoveryYear of discoveryCurrent LocationContents
Broighter Hoard
County Londonderry
1896National Museum of Ireland, Dublin1 gold model ship
1 gold model cauldron
2 gold neck chains
2 twisted gold torc necklets
1 hollow gold torc or collar
Dooyork Hoard
County Mayo
2001National Museum of Ireland, Dublin4 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.
HoardImageDatePlace of discoveryYear of discoveryCurrent LocationContents
Balline Hoard
County Limerick
1940National Museum of Ireland, Dublin4 silver ingots and 3 pieces of silver plate
Coleraine Hoard
County Londonderry
1854British 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.
HoardImageDatePlace of discoveryYear of discoveryCurrent LocationContents
Ardagh Hoard
County Limerick
1868National Museum of Ireland, Dublin1 silver chalice
1 bronze chalice
4 silver-gilt brooches.
Derrynaflan Hoard
County Tipperary
1980National Museum of Ireland, DublinA 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.
HoardImageDatePlace of discoveryYear of discoveryCurrent LocationContents
Mullaghboden Hoard
County Kildare
187111 Carolingian coins

Medieval hoards

The table below lists hoards that date to the late medieval period, from 1066 to about 1500.
HoardImageDatePlace of discoveryYear of discoveryCurrent LocationContents
Armagh City Hoard
County Armagh
1998Ulster Museum35 silver coins worth £1,800

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, during which time the Nine Years' War caused considerable instability throughout Ireland, but especially in Ulster.
HoardImageDatePlace of discoveryYear of discoveryCurrent LocationContents
Armagh Castle Street Hoard
County Armagh
1976Ulster Museum, Belfast135 Irish groats
Carrick-on-Suir Hoard
County Tipperary
201381 gold guineas and half guineas dating from the reigns of Charles II, James II, William and Mary, and William III

Footnotes