0:01:49 > 0:01:51SEAGULLS CRY
0:03:15 > 0:03:17IRON HISSES
0:07:12 > 0:07:14POL CHUCKLES
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Lisnacrogher is situated on a very important boundary.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11It's on the boundary between
0:18:11 > 0:18:17the kingdom of Dal Riata and the territory of Dal nAraide,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19two of the Ulster kingdoms.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26The king in Irish tradition married the goddess,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28and the goddess was the land.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32And what of course gave form to the land
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and form to the goddess therefore
0:18:34 > 0:18:36was the boundary.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41And the boundary between territories, especially if you had a lake or bog,
0:18:41 > 0:18:46were also, er, they were portals to the otherworld.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53So the deposition of objects on boundaries
0:18:53 > 0:18:55was a really important ritual
0:18:55 > 0:19:00and one that's related to kingship and sovereignty rituals.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03And of all the sites that we know, I think Lisnacrogher
0:19:03 > 0:19:10is the premier depositional site on an ancient boundary in Ireland.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39Eamon, what can you tell us
0:20:39 > 0:20:43about the construction of that wonderful trumpet behind us here?
0:20:43 > 0:20:49Erm, the trumpet is made from sheet bronze,
0:20:49 > 0:20:54but it appears that perhaps two trumpets, two different trumpets,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56have been assembled together.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03The workmanship on the lower part of the trumpet
0:21:03 > 0:21:06is inferior to the upper part of the trumpet,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08which is beautifully riveted.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14It's really one of the masterpieces of Iron Age metalwork,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18especially from a technical point of view.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23The Celts on the Continent used trumpets before battles
0:21:23 > 0:21:27to, basically, put the wind up the enemy. They made a lot of noise.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31And we have references from Roman writers at how unnerving this was.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36It's an artwork which is particularly associated
0:21:36 > 0:21:39with the ruling classes in Ireland, with the aristocracy.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43And of course, the lake is in immediate proximity to Emain Macha,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46which is the seat of the kings of Ulster.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Eamon, this wonderful collection of gold objects here,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43where did it come from?
0:23:43 > 0:23:49These were found at Broighter, on the shore of Lough Foyle in County Derry,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53just before the end of the 19th century.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56They ended up in the possession of a dealer from Cork,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59who then sold them to the British Museum.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03This hoard became a cause celebre
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and resulted in a famous court case, did it not?
0:24:06 > 0:24:12The British Museum contended in their case that these items
0:24:12 > 0:24:15were a ritual deposit to an ancient Irish god.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17But as the court found otherwise,
0:24:17 > 0:24:22the items were deemed to be treasure trove and returned to Ireland.
0:24:22 > 0:24:30The deity that we think these objects were left for is Manannan mac Lir.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58He had his underwater bhru in Lough Foyle,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01his bhru, which is preserved in the name Broighter,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Bhru Iochtair, the lower bhru.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Bhru was the name given to a residence of the gods.
0:25:10 > 0:25:16There are a number of neck ornaments, torques and collars,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20of which of course the most famous and the best known
0:25:20 > 0:25:22is the large tubular collar,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26which is absolutely an exceptional piece of work.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31There is very little in the goldwork of the period anywhere in Europe,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33you know, that's up to this particular standard.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40The decoration is raised on the surface of the metal
0:25:40 > 0:25:42from hammering from below,
0:25:42 > 0:25:47which is very difficult to achieve with a curved tube.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50So these metalworkers knew exactly what they were at.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52And then the raised decoration is highlighted
0:25:52 > 0:25:54with inscribed decoration.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00It's a masterful piece of work.