Virginia Brooch returns to Cavan for museum anniversary celebrations

The silver bossed Irish penannular brooch is estimated to be more than 1,000 years old.

One of Cavan’s most iconic historical artefacts, the Virginia Brooch, has returned home on loan from the national archives n as part of celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the opening of the County Museum in Ballyjamesduff.

The announcement was made at the May meeting of Cavan County Council, which was held at the museum. Dating to approximately 900 AD, the silver bossed Irish penannular brooch is estimated to be more than 1,000 years old. The artefact, formed as an incomplete ring, was discovered in the early nineteenth century along the shores of Lough Ramor near Woodward’s Island and has since become one of the county’s most treasured archaeological finds.

The brooch last returned to Cavan in 2012 during celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of Virginia. Following that exhibition, it was returned to the care of the National Museum of Ireland, where it has remained out of public view.

The exhibition will provide a rare opportunity for local people and visitors alike to view one of Cavan’s most precious historical treasures, whose legacy is already celebrated through a striking replica sculpture in Virginia town.