Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Jan 2000

Vol. 513 No. 1

Written Answers. - Dunmore Cave Find.

John McGuinness

Question:

628 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will make a statement on the nature of the find at Dunmore caves, County Kilkenny; if all pieces have been identified; if she will return these pieces to a suitable location in County Kilkenny for display; if a list of historical objects taken from County Kilkenny is available; if so, where they are stored; and if she will return some of these pieces to County Kilkenny for display. [1226/00]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera):

In November 1999 the National Museum of Ireland was informed of the discovery of a hoard of silver and bronze objects in Dunmore Cave, County Kilkenny. The finds have been broadly identified but further detailed work is required. When recovered and brought to the National Museum of Ireland, the hoard consisted of 43 objects of silver and bronze, one glass bead and small fragments of leather and textile. Among the objects are 14 silver coins from Anglo-Saxon England, which allow the dating of the deposition of the hoard to approximately 970AD.

Full conservation of the objects is to be carried out by the National Museum of Ireland after which they will be placed on public display.

The Dunmore Cave material is regarded by the National Museum as being of national importance. No request has been received for the dis play of this material in County Kilkenny. If a request were received to display archaeological material in Kilkenny, it would be assessed on the basis of the loan policy of the National Museum of Ireland and on the basis of section 68 of the National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997.

The National Museum of Ireland has many objects from County Kilkenny in its collections, both on exhibition and in its research and reserve collections. No separate lists of this material currently exist, but the museum would be happy to facilitate researchers in compiling such lists from its archives, as has already been done for Tipperary South Riding County Museum and Clare County Museum.