Mary Cahill
@auireland.bsky.social
Archaeologist - all about the gold and archaeology
https://independent.academia.edu/MaryCahill
https://independent.academia.edu/MaryCahill
Just out- the Winter 2025 edition of @archiremag.bsky.social with lots of interesting articles and my ‘Reading the urns’ on the idea of solar-powered pots and urns in need of understanding. Just in time for #wintersolstice2025
December 5, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Just out- the Winter 2025 edition of @archiremag.bsky.social with lots of interesting articles and my ‘Reading the urns’ on the idea of solar-powered pots and urns in need of understanding. Just in time for #wintersolstice2025
Such a pleasure to be at the opening of Martin Wright’s beautiful exhibition Sun Discs-an exhibition of works in turf and 23ct gold leaf at Marsh’Library in Dublin last night. The work is a response to Early Bronze Age gold discs in the exhibition Ór @NMIreland. Don’t miss it.
July 11, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Such a pleasure to be at the opening of Martin Wright’s beautiful exhibition Sun Discs-an exhibition of works in turf and 23ct gold leaf at Marsh’Library in Dublin last night. The work is a response to Early Bronze Age gold discs in the exhibition Ór @NMIreland. Don’t miss it.
At Loughcrew, Co. Meath last night hurling, observing, imbibing and witnessing a beautiful sunset with drumming and chanting adding to the intense atmosphere of celebration #summersolstice2025
June 22, 2025 at 7:19 AM
At Loughcrew, Co. Meath last night hurling, observing, imbibing and witnessing a beautiful sunset with drumming and chanting adding to the intense atmosphere of celebration #summersolstice2025
The concentric circles may be shields but they are also solar images making Caergwrle a truly solar boat and you are so right it should be as well known as the Mold cape. Painting by Liam Holden part of the crew rowing from Kerry to Galicia in a currach. @drtobydriver.bsky.social
June 6, 2025 at 9:37 AM
The concentric circles may be shields but they are also solar images making Caergwrle a truly solar boat and you are so right it should be as well known as the Mold cape. Painting by Liam Holden part of the crew rowing from Kerry to Galicia in a currach. @drtobydriver.bsky.social
Thanks Peter, he was one of a kind. Here’s the beautiful bronze bust made by Brian’s son Alan. Suaimhneas síoraí air.
May 31, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Thanks Peter, he was one of a kind. Here’s the beautiful bronze bust made by Brian’s son Alan. Suaimhneas síoraí air.
My good friend, Brian Clarke, the great Irish silversmith who worked on so many incredibly difficult projects such as replicating the Dunraven lunula, the Mold Cape, & the Shropshire bulla, has died. He also used anticlastic raising to make ribbon torcs. We will miss him so much.
May 27, 2025 at 1:19 PM
My good friend, Brian Clarke, the great Irish silversmith who worked on so many incredibly difficult projects such as replicating the Dunraven lunula, the Mold Cape, & the Shropshire bulla, has died. He also used anticlastic raising to make ribbon torcs. We will miss him so much.
Extreme damage caused by repeated ancient folding and rolling makes this one a bit of a worry. There are several lunulae papers on my academia page.
May 18, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Extreme damage caused by repeated ancient folding and rolling makes this one a bit of a worry. There are several lunulae papers on my academia page.
Thinking of something suitably grand from Tipperary to equal Rachael Blackmore’s achievements-of course there is only one - the Derrynaflan paten - now there’s a Tipperary Plate worthy of Rachael and her early medieval relations. We could throw in an ould Cup as well…@NMIreland
May 13, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Thinking of something suitably grand from Tipperary to equal Rachael Blackmore’s achievements-of course there is only one - the Derrynaflan paten - now there’s a Tipperary Plate worthy of Rachael and her early medieval relations. We could throw in an ould Cup as well…@NMIreland
The most beautiful Blackwater estuary at Youghal on a glorious May evening- now for a glass of 🍾
May 6, 2025 at 5:28 PM
The most beautiful Blackwater estuary at Youghal on a glorious May evening- now for a glass of 🍾
I’m still doodling, well more like colouring in like a 7 year old, but here are two shining solar images, one from Spain, one from Ireland. All goes to show the artistic instincts of the ceramicists is coming from the same place.
May 5, 2025 at 7:02 AM
I’m still doodling, well more like colouring in like a 7 year old, but here are two shining solar images, one from Spain, one from Ireland. All goes to show the artistic instincts of the ceramicists is coming from the same place.
Team Plurabelle Anna didn’t win on the Barrow today at Athy but they fought hard. Next time they are going for gold.
May 4, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Team Plurabelle Anna didn’t win on the Barrow today at Athy but they fought hard. Next time they are going for gold.
Members of Plurabelle Paddlers dragon boat crew (including my own sister Katherine on lhs) at today’s regatta in Athy, Co. Kildare. A great club dedicated to supporting breast cancer achievers (my preferred term)
May 4, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Members of Plurabelle Paddlers dragon boat crew (including my own sister Katherine on lhs) at today’s regatta in Athy, Co. Kildare. A great club dedicated to supporting breast cancer achievers (my preferred term)
A fantastic opportunity today in @nmireland.bsky.social to meet Prof Jorge Soler Diaz, Alicante, renowned specialist in the Neolithic; curator and author of Ídolo Miranda’s Milenarias; to introduce him to a fascinating object with Iberian connections all the way from Co. Kilkenny. More anon #único
May 2, 2025 at 3:08 PM
A fantastic opportunity today in @nmireland.bsky.social to meet Prof Jorge Soler Diaz, Alicante, renowned specialist in the Neolithic; curator and author of Ídolo Miranda’s Milenarias; to introduce him to a fascinating object with Iberian connections all the way from Co. Kilkenny. More anon #único
A very sad and devastating statement from the internationally known silversmith, Séamus Gill, whose studio was broken into at Easter. His entire collection & work in progress were stolen. Séamus worked with Brian Clarke and Michael Good on applying anti-clastic raising to Iron Age ribbon torcs.
April 25, 2025 at 9:28 AM
A very sad and devastating statement from the internationally known silversmith, Séamus Gill, whose studio was broken into at Easter. His entire collection & work in progress were stolen. Séamus worked with Brian Clarke and Michael Good on applying anti-clastic raising to Iron Age ribbon torcs.
Felices Pascuas desde el Palacio Real, Madrid
April 20, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Felices Pascuas desde el Palacio Real, Madrid
Imposible! Impossible to pick a few highlights from the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid so here are a few favourites from the Iron Age. Personal ornaments in baked clay, bronze and gold plus terracotta figurines with several piercings from Ibiza.
April 19, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Imposible! Impossible to pick a few highlights from the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid so here are a few favourites from the Iron Age. Personal ornaments in baked clay, bronze and gold plus terracotta figurines with several piercings from Ibiza.
Easter ceremonies underway at Madrid’s Catedral de la Almudena for Good Friday.
April 18, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Easter ceremonies underway at Madrid’s Catedral de la Almudena for Good Friday.
Nothing like a little colouring in on a sunny day - EBA bowl from a cist burial with a splendid solar image. Like being back in high infants…
April 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Nothing like a little colouring in on a sunny day - EBA bowl from a cist burial with a splendid solar image. Like being back in high infants…
The number of surviving containers for gold ornaments is v few. This little ceramic vessel was made specially for these LBA gold foil-covered base metal rings. The foil is pressed into the decorated surface of the ring. Mostly from the north and west of Ireland I call them Lough Gara type rings.
April 1, 2025 at 10:27 AM
The number of surviving containers for gold ornaments is v few. This little ceramic vessel was made specially for these LBA gold foil-covered base metal rings. The foil is pressed into the decorated surface of the ring. Mostly from the north and west of Ireland I call them Lough Gara type rings.
Lunulae come in all sorts of different widths - just saying. These two represent the very narrow and the very wide. Both from Ireland.
📸 moi #solareclipse2025
📸 moi #solareclipse2025
March 29, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Lunulae come in all sorts of different widths - just saying. These two represent the very narrow and the very wide. Both from Ireland.
📸 moi #solareclipse2025
📸 moi #solareclipse2025
The excitement at opening this parcel today. It looks absolutely splendid! Míle buíochas do @michellecomber.bsky.social , Kieran O’Conor eds, and of course Four Courts Press for a fantastic festschrift in honour of Prof John Waddell.
March 19, 2025 at 4:47 PM
The excitement at opening this parcel today. It looks absolutely splendid! Míle buíochas do @michellecomber.bsky.social , Kieran O’Conor eds, and of course Four Courts Press for a fantastic festschrift in honour of Prof John Waddell.
Waiting at the dentist reminds me of the Clonmel jeweller, watchmaker and dentist Mr Wallace who in the 1860s was responsible for flattening and rolling one of the biggest gold dress-fasteners ever recorded. From a field called Páirc anÓir, Cloghernagh, Co. Tipperary, just a small fragment remains.
March 19, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Waiting at the dentist reminds me of the Clonmel jeweller, watchmaker and dentist Mr Wallace who in the 1860s was responsible for flattening and rolling one of the biggest gold dress-fasteners ever recorded. From a field called Páirc anÓir, Cloghernagh, Co. Tipperary, just a small fragment remains.
The moon tonight in D6W - amazingly bright
March 14, 2025 at 10:23 PM
The moon tonight in D6W - amazingly bright