Three priceless gold torcs dating from the Bronze Age and discovered last November on a beach in Mayo are to go on public display next week.
The ancient treasures were found by brothers PJ and Bertie Deane who brought them to Cork jeweller Mr Tim Keane. The brothers, who are in their late 40s, thought the jewellery was only a few hundred years old and were amazed when an expert from University College Cork said the pieces dated back over 3,000 years.
Mr Keane, who owns Michel Jewellers in Cork, contacted the National Museum of Ireland and the jewellery was handed over to archaeologists.Palaeobotanists and other environmental experts examined the site where the torcs were found to try and establish what it would have looked like in prehistoric times.
On the first day of excavation more significant artefacts were found adjacent to where the gold torcs were located. The discovery of amber beads confirmed initial projections that the jewellery dates back 3,000 years.
The location of the find was kept secret yet word soon spread that the ancient pieces were found on the shore close to Dooyork, Geesala, Co Mayo. The antiquities will go on show at the Country Life Museum, Castlebar, Co Mayo, from next Wednesday to January next year.