The Gleninsheen Gorget
Written by Ciaran on Aug 19, 2026 | 0 Comments
Many of our jewelry designs are inspired by the spectacular treasures of ancient Ireland; the stone spirals of Newgrange, the intricate illustrations in the Book of Kells, and the fine metalwork of the Tara Brooch to name a few! With the newest additions to our collection, the Gleninsheen Gorget is now added to that list.
Our new sterling silver replica of the Gleninsheen Gorget in miniature.
Read on to find out more about where this ancient treasure was found, how it was made, and what exactly is a gorget anyway?
What is the Gleninsheen Gorget?
Also known as the Gleninsheen collar, it is a spectacular, 3,000-year-old, neck ornament discovered in Ireland. One of only eight surviving examples of its kind, this collar was expertly made in the late Bronze Age around 800 BC to 700 BC, from pure gold.
The Gleninsheen Gorget or Collar in all it's glory.
Photo Credit: © National Museum of Ireland CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
What is a gorget?
The term gorget is perhaps a little misleading as it is used here, given that it comes from the Old French gorge or 'throat' and is more typically used to refer to either a band of linen that was wrapped around a woman's neck and head in the medieval period, or a piece of medieval armour, worn by knights to protect their necks!
A gorget made of steel, gold, copper alloy and leather, possibly from the armour of possibly of Philip II, King of Spain, from around 1550. Now in the collection of the MET
Photo Credit: Public Domain
The Gleninsheen gorget is certainly substantial but it probably wasn’t used as armour and it was made and worn more than 1000 years before the knights of the Middle Ages!
The Gleninsheen collar also differs from the numerous older lunulae discovered in Ireland, that are flatter, thinner sheets of gold, also worn around the neck, with a similar crescent form.
A gold lunula and two "sun discs" from the Coggalbeg hoard, discovered in a bog in 1945 in Ireland and dated to the early bronze age around 2300–2000 BC - so just the 1200 to 1500 years older than the Gleninsheen collar!
Photo Credit: © National Museum of Ireland CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Meanwhile, the Gleninsheen collar weighs in at 276 grams - about the same as a large smartphone, and measures an impressive 31cm across, similar in diameter to a 12 inch pizza! A seriously substantial piece!
So the collar, though not actual armour, is frankly huge and is intricately decorated all over. Repoussé and spectacular rope patterns crafted with gold wirework adorn the crescent of the collar with conical and round bosses and detailed concentric circles decorating the two end discs. It's a masterpiece.
Photo Credit: © National Museum of Ireland CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
How was it made?
It’s believed the considerable amounts of gold used in the collar would have been mined and produced in Ireland. Gold bearing rocks would have been crushed and heated to release the precious metal within and processing enough material to produce the collar would have taken considerable effort.
There is still gold in Irish hills for those with the patience to find it!
Photo Credit: © National Museum of Ireland CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
The intricate and highly skilled metalwork, described as being “at the apex of goldworking in Europe at this time” could only have been produced by a society that could support true artisans. This was a spectacular object made to impress by a complex society. And given the value of the materials and the effort required, we can only assume that the collar was for someone with VERY high status indeed. The collar was found in a landscape scattered with bronze age sites, including the Poulnabrone Dolmen, stone circles, and wedge tombs, suggesting it was a busy spot a few thousand years ago!
The spectacular Poulnabrone Dolmen is just one of the many bronze age sites that scatter the otherworldly landscape near to where the gorget was found.
Photo Credit: David Hegarty (CC BY 2.0)
For whatever reason, the spot was abandoned, with Cromwellian forces in the 1600’s remarking that "it is a country where there is not water enough to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury him.” Charming!
Where exactly was it found?
Like many ancient Irish treasures, the discovery of the collar was by pure chance. Back in 1932, a local lad named Patrick Connolan was out with his dog in the spectacular landscape of the Burren, County Clare.
The karst limestone in the Burren in Co. Clare makes for a spectacular landscape filled with crags, crevices, caves, and archaeological sites - plenty of hiding spots for treasure!
Photo Credit: Dieglop (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Patrick’s dog had cornered a rabbit and “set” it into a fissure in the limestone pavement (distinctive features, common in the Burren). When Patrick looked in for the rabbit, instead he found a thin wedge of rock stuck across the fissure. When he moved this rock, instead of a rabbit he found gold!
The golden treasure had been clearly hidden away in this lonely spot, and bent either to "decommission" the item, as many of the other Irish gold collars from this time show similar bends, and or to fit it into this rocky hiding place!
Patrick brought the treasure home, showing it to his uncle who thought it might have been part of an ancient coffin. Believing it might bring bad luck to the home Patrick’s uncle advised that it shouldn’t be kept in the house. So Patrick stashed the golden collar away down a lane near his home, only showing it to a local historian, Dermot Gleeson, two years later!
Gleeson quickly identified the collar for what it was, a late bronze age gorget, and a spectacular treasure of immesurable value and importance.
Where is it now?
After his discovery, Gleeson got in touch with the Keeper of Antiquities at the National Museum. The collar was quickly transported there, and is on display in Dublin to this day for all to enjoy. It is well worth a look if you find yourself in Dublin!
There are all manner of treasures in the NMI! It is a go to haunt for many of us here at My Irish Jeweler - we even went on a team team outing there last summer.
Photo Credit: J. Chadwick
Feeling inspired?
The enduring fascination with spectacular treasures like the Gleninsheen gorget is a reminder that people from all over draw inspiration from Ireland’s ancient past.
So if you are after your own piece of Irish treasure that celebrates Ireland's ancient history and culture you could start your search on our site. Or get in touch and we would be delighted to use our expertise to help you in your treasure hunt!
Find your Irish treasure.
From the intricate illustrations in the Book of Kells, to the detailed stone carvings of our high stone Celtic crosses, and the fine metalwork of the Ardagh Chalice - your Irish treasure is waiting.
Get In Touch
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Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Irish culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Irish teachers, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
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