Sroxes—Probable Date of the Tara Brooch, &c. 451 
LX.—lIwnavurry ss To THE Propaste Date oF THE TARA Broocu AN 
CHALICE FouUND NEAR ArpaGH. By Marcarer Sroxes. (With 
a Chart.) 
[Read, June 28, 1886. ] 
Ir is much to be regretted that the date of two of the finest examples 
of goldsmiths’ work of the Christian period in Ireland still remains 
undecided. They are the Tara Brooch and the Chalice found at 
Ardagh, in the county of Limerick. I hope this evening to bring 
before your notice, in as few words as possible, some points in both 
these relics which, when considered, may help us, if only approxi- 
mately, to determine the period at which they were executed. 
In dealing with such questions, the antiquary should, in the first 
instance, learn the existence, as well as trace the history, of certain 
laws, which he and all subsequent workers may apply, with more 
or less confidence, to the formation of a chronological classification of 
the objects they are dealing with. The first step in this direction 
should be to place in regular order the series of objects whose date 
has been already ascertained, so that they may serve afterwards as 
landmarks—starting-points for the future classification of undated 
ones. 
When we consider the numerous examples we possess of goldsmiths’ 
work in Irish Christian art, it will be observed that certain variations 
take place, at certain periods of time, in those classes of antiquities 
among which some are to be found the date of which is fixed by the 
inscriptions that they bear: variations in the composition of the 
metals, in the methods of working the metals, in the enamels, and 
in the designing of the patterns and scrolls with which the surface: 
is adorned. It is found, on a comparative study of the relics whose 
date is more or less fixed, that such designs as are held to be pecularly 
characteristic of Irish art are not common to every period in the 
history of its development, but are confined to a more limited space of 
time than has been hitherto believed. 
In order to present the argument as briefly as possible, allow me to 
refer the reader to the Chart appended to this Paper, where he will 
find a chronological arrangement of those examples of Irish illu- 
minated manuscripts, metal-work, sculptured crosses, tombstones, and 
architecture, the dates of which have been approximately fixed. This 
Chart is seen to cover a period extending from the fifth to the twelfth 
century, and commences with the rudest example of metal-work we 
can find—the iron bell of St. Patrick. Itis remarkable that the primi- 
tive Christian metal-work should have been of so barbarous a character, 
since we know that the Irish had already attained to great skill in the 
R.I.A. PROC., SER. II., VOL. II.—POL. LIT. AND ANTIQ. 3 A 
