Archaeological company TVAS (Ireland) Ltd. discovered the partial Iron Age wooden bowl at Killow, near Clarecastle, during excavations on the N18 Ennis Bypass and N85 Western Relief Road.

The vessel is being exhibited alongside a modern replica of the entire bowl, produced by a US-based woodturner who downloaded a drawing of the artefact from the Clare Museum website.

According to John Rattigan, Curator of Clare Museum, “The exhibits will give visitors to the museum a good idea of the sophisticated level of design and workmanship that existed in Ireland between 777 and 407 B.C.”

“Clare Museum, in conjunction with TVAS, is pleased to be able to show the people of Clare this fascinating artefact. After all, the main purpose of archaeology is not just to dig and record but to show and tell”, added Mr. Rattigan.

TVAS director Graham Hull described the discovery of the partial wooden bowl as one of the 'best archaeological finds' of his 13-year career.

Commenting further on the discovery, Mr. Hull said, “Once extracted from the ground, the artefact was photographed and wrapped in peat to prevent the wood drying out before being placed in an airtight plastic box. Following the cleaning and conservation of the bowl in a laboratory, we were amazed at how well the vessel had survived the 2500 years in the peat.”

He continued, “I find it exciting that I had the opportunity to see the results of the fine workmanship that went into the making of this bowl. To be able to see an object, that probably held food for a person so long ago, allows a connection with the past that is difficult to explain.”

“The Irish Iron Age is, to a certain degree, 'invisible' compared to the preceding Bronze Age with its many finds of pottery and metalwork and so it was pleasing to add this piece of information to the archaeological record.  I am especially pleased with the linking of the Iron Age with the Information Age, that has been achieved by woodturner Mark Zdepski from New Jersey”, concluded Mr. Hull.

Mr. Zdepski produced two replicas of the entire bowl, after downloading a scale drawing from the Clare Museum website.  He said he had been attracted to the vessel by its unusually modern design and pointed out that it was made from ash, unlike previously discovered bowls from the same period, which were predominantly made from alder.

Archaeological excavations along the route of the N18 Ennis Bypass and the N85 Western Relief Road took place in late 2003 and early 2004. Archaeological excavation and post-excavation work was undertaken by TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, based at Ballinruan in County Clare. Works were funded by Clare County Council through the National Roads Authority and part-financed by the European Union under the National Development Plan 2000-2006.

Some of the earliest artefacts discovered include pottery fragments, stone tools and cereal grains from a cremation cemetery containing the cremated remains of at least 27 individuals, the earliest of which has been radiocarbon dated to the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age between 2450-2150 BC. 

The original wooden bowl will remain on display at Clare Museum, Ennis, County Clare, until the end of April before it is relocated to the National Museum of Ireland.

For further information contact Clare Museum at 065-6823382, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or log on www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/claremuseum.

-ENDS-

Note to Editor:
- Mr. Graham Hull (087-9693189) and John Rattigan (087-2065404) are available for interview and further comment.  To arrange please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy PR on 086-8534900 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
- High-resolution images of the artefact are available on request.
- Clare Museum is located in a restored former convent built by the Sisters of Mercy congregation in 1861. The museum exhibition “The Riches of Clare: its people, place and treasures” occupies two galleries and incorporates the traditional method of displaying original artefacts from the county with modern interpretive tools such as colourful display panels, audio visual and computer interactive presentations, models, some replicas and commissioned art pieces. The collection comprises a large display of archaeological material of local provenance on loan from the National Museum of Ireland, the De Valera Museum collection transferred from the Clare County Library, and locally collected artefacts never seen before in public.