The Irish Tara Brooch at Totally Irish Gifts

The Irish Tara Brooch

The Irish Tara Brooch dates from c.710 to 760 A.D. and was discovered in 1850. It is a pseudo-penannular style,  which is a term used only for brooches. This means there is no opening in the circle ring, also know as a ‘ring brooch’.

The Irish Tara Brooch is named after the Hill of Tara, which was the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. However, the brooch actually has no connection to the High Kings or the Hill of Tara. Neither has it any pagan or Christian connection.

A peasant woman found the Tara Brooch in a tin buried in the sand on a beach at Bettystown, in County Meath, on the east coast of Ireland 30 miles north of Dublin. Although it is possible that the brooch was found elsewhere, but the woman claimed to have found it on the beach as to avoid a possible claim by whoever may have owned the land.

This brooch eventually made its way into the hands of Dublin jeweller George Waterhouse. He named it the Tara Brooch in order to help with the marketing of his own Celtic styled jewellery. It was used as a display in his Dublin jewellery shop. Waterhouse also brought the Tara Brooch to various exhibitions, such as the 1851 Great Exhibition in London and the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris.

Handcrafted Tara Brooch Replica

The Tara Brooch is recognised world-wide as a symbol of Ireland. It has been replicated many times as jewellers produce their own version of this famous brooch.  See the Tara Brooch on Totally Irish Gifts.com as created by Kevin Cunningham.

 

 

 

Beautiful Celtic and Irish Jewellery, designed and handcrafted in Ireland.

 

 

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