An American student visiting Ireland unintentionally made a startling discovery as she recovered a genuine 12th-century Irish brooch from a Galway beach.
American student McKenna McFadden discovered a 12th-century Irish brooch whilst walking along the shore of the scenic Omey Island off the coast of County Galway in the west of Ireland.
The artefact called a kite brooch because of its distinctive shape, was used primarily to fasten a cloak or shawl, and is one of only a few examples of its kind ever to be found in Ireland. It has now been handed over to the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin for safekeeping.
McKenna McFadden – American student visiting Ireland
McKenna McFadden is an Irish American film and television major at New York University, and she spent time living in Dublin during the summer of 2016 with an NYU program.
In July 2016, her NYU Dublin group was on a tour of Omey Island, Connacht, which Connemara-based archaeologist Michael Gibbons led.
Something caught McFadden’s eye during this tour as she discovered the rare 12th-century artefact.
12th-century Irish brooch – a stunning discovery
Speaking about how she came to make her stunning discovery, McFadden said, “I had been looking at some rabbit burrows with my friend while on a tour of the island led by archaeologist Michael Gibbons.
When stepping back from the burrows, I looked down and saw the back of the brooch and picked it up. When I first looked at it, I really thought nothing of it! It was really pretty, and I thought someone had possibly dropped it.
I kept it with me until I caught up with Michael, and he was very intrigued. He had me take him back to the site at which I found it. I didn’t fully realize how important the find was at the time.”
Reaction to McKenna’s discovery – largely positive
News of McFadden’s discovery spread quickly. While most of the reactions were positive, as you might expect, surprisingly, there was one negative reaction from a radio presenter on RTE 2FM.
Chris, a host on Breakfast Republic, complained, “You find a thing that’s about a thousand years old, and McKenna McFadden finds it.
“Probably wearing an auld North Face jacket, had probably been in Temple Bar and spent €9 on a pint of Guinness, probably only read about Ireland once in a book and watched The Departed, and thinks they’re Irish… and then comes to Ireland and finds part of our history, part of our culture!”
“Wouldn’t it be better if someone from the local area found it?” his co-host, Claire, asked.
The two nations, however, have a close bond, and McFadden explained her love for the Emerald Isle: “I fell in love with the west of Ireland. Connemara is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I was in complete awe the entire time. It’s truly a humbling experience”.
