Ardagh Chalice

The Ardagh Chalice, one of the finest examples of Irish metalwork from the Middle Ages, was found in 1868 CE as part of a hoard at an Irish ringfort in Reerasta, near Ardagh, Co. Limerick. While the chalice is the only ecclesiastical artefact found as part of the Ardagh Hoard, this collection also contains four gilt silver brooches and a plain bronze chalice. The decorated chalice is the oldest piece in the hoard, dating back to c. 750 CE, while the youngest is a silver thistle brooch created in the early 10th century CE. Other treasures of this same period, called the Golden Age of Irish Art, include the Book of Kells and the Derrynaflan Hoard. It is likely that the hoard was buried during a time when Viking raids in Ireland were at their peak.