‘A Roman Presence in Ireland – the Example of the Coleraine Hoard’ – Peter Crawford

Dr Crawford considers the significance of the Coleraine Hoard, a collection of Roman silver coins, ingots and hacksilver pieces found in Antrim.

“The old, overworked statement that, ‘The Romans never came to Ireland’ no longer represents a widely-held view. If the Irish could raid and trade in Britain, then the Romans could, and did, cross to Ireland. Archaeological finds, including a silver hoard unearthed by a farm labourer near Coleraine in 1854, have taken the discussion of Romano-Irish relations beyond just “trade and raid” into a consideration of more intricate and sophisticated social and political interactions. These include army recruitment, the movement of migrants and even Irish settlements on Roman land”.

On Friday 21 January 2024, Dr Peter Crawford gave a talk on the Coleraine Hoard and considered Roman involvement in Ancient Ireland.

Venue and Event

On a bright, clear January afternoon in the centre of Belfast, nearly a hundred people gathered in the top gallery room of the historic Linen Hall Library. They were there to hear Dr Peter Crawford of the Classical Association in Northern Ireland speak about the connections between the Irish and the Roman world. From a podium at the end of the high-ceilinged hall, Dr Crawford displayed significant artifacts, maps, and manuscripts on a large screen.

This was the second event staged as part of the new partnership between CANI and the Linen Hall Library and tickets had Sold Out a few days in advance. Library Staff provided technical equipment for the Speaker, while the CANI Team manned a table to promote Classics and Ancient History in Ireland and the UK.

The Talk: Detective Work and Description of the Find

Peter explained his interest in this subject, living in North Antrim close to where a remarkable hoard of Roman material was discovered in 1854. The Coleraine Hoard was unearthed in the townland of Ballinrees long before the development of modern archaeological methods, therefore Peter located all available accounts from nineteenth century records, including local newspaper articles and old journal reports. The find had been split-up between antiquarians, jewellers, and museums, with many pieces lost, misidentified, or moved into unknown collections. Some ‘detective work’ was therefore required to determine what exactly had been discovered and where it had ended up. Each piece was significant, because every Roman coin contains images and mint marks that can be used to date where and when it was issued. This is crucial for understanding the purpose and significance of the Coleraine Hoard.

Using this information, Peter explained what was occurring in the Roman Empire at the time when the hoard was buried (c. AD 430). This was the era of Saint Patrick, when the Western Roman Empire was disintegrating and Roman Britain was subject to repeated raids from Irish, Picts and Anglo-Saxons. So, what was the Coleraine Hoard? How did this collection of Roman silver payments reach Ireland? Peter offered several theories in answer to these questions and a video recording of the event is available online.

A Roman-Irish Connection

Dr Crawford explained the use of ingots and hacksilver by the late Roman State and military. Then he outlined the main theories for how such items could have reached Ireland. The Coleraine Hoard does not resemble the random objects seized by Irish sea-raiders (artifacts like the Murlough find of Roman rings and belt-buckles – Dundrum Bay, County Down). So, could the silver be payment for Irish mercenaries employed in imperial service? Peter outlined the evidence from the Notitia Dignitatum, a record of Roman military units, and cited key passages from the Latin sources. These texts suggest that the Irish presented a significant threat to Roman imperial interests during Late Antiquity. This evidence contradicts the modern claim that ancient Ireland was unimportant and had ‘no real history’ before the sixth century.

Peter also discussed the significance of the hacksilver discovered in the Coleraine Hoard. The ornate patterning displayed on these silver pieces was an inspiration for early Celtic knotwork – the distinctive art style that became synonymous with medieval Ireland. So, perhaps the Coleraine Hoard was not unique, and many other payments of silver ingots, coins and silverware reached fifth century Ireland. Who knows what might yet be discovered?

Where to View the Artifacts

Peter explained that some pieces of the Coleraine Hoard are kept in storage in the Ulster Museum. But the pieces held by the British Museum are on prominent display in their European Gallery next to the Sutton Hoo Helmet.

Questions

Questions at the end of the talk concerned ancient Drumanagh, a site just north of Dublin where Roman material has been unearthed. New evidence will soon be published by the Discovery Program. Dr Crawford then gave his own view on how ancient Ireland might have interacted with the Roman Empire during this earlier period (first to second centuries AD).

A Suprise

One of the people attending the talk approached Dr Crawford to show him a remarkable find. It was a late era Roman silver coin that she herself had found in an Antrim field at a different location from the hoard. The Ulster Museum had studied the coin and returned it to her. So, perhaps yet another example of Roman involvement in early Ireland?

Dr Crawford’s Talk is now available online on the Youtube Channels of both CANI and the Linen Hall Library. 

Dr Raoul McLaughlin