Thistle brooch from Ballynolan
The thistle brooch of Ballynolan ( English Ballynolan Thistle brooch ) was discovered in 1836 in the townland of Ballynolan ( Irish Baile Ó Nialláin ) southeast of Pallaskenry, in County Limerick in Ireland in a field while collecting reading stones under a particularly large stone.
The early medieval penannular brooch made of silver , called the thistle brooch , after the distinctive thistle head motifs that adorn the ends of the ring and the needle, seems to have been developed in Ireland. It spread rapidly in the Viking world . Thistle brooches are usually made of silver and can be found in Ireland, parts of England , Scotland, and Scandinavia , as well as in areas where the Vikings were active.
It is a mystery why this valuable item was deposited under a rock almost 1000 years ago. Six of these fibulae were discovered in North Munster. Examples are the Ardagh , Cashel, Limerick and Tipperary primers.
The fibulae were used to close items of clothing and to clearly show the wealth and status of the owner. They usually date from the 9th to 11th centuries AD and follow the previous Irish eyeglass primer.
The primer is now in the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology in Cambridge .
literature
- James Graham-Campbell: Two Groups of Ninth-Century Irish Brooches In: The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Vol. 102, No. 2 - 1972 pp. 113-128
Web links
Coordinates: 52 ° 38 '7 " N , 8 ° 50' 57" W.