Monastic sculpture discovery puts Nobber on the map of attractions

A routine clean-up of an Irish country graveyard in County Meath has turned up a dozen stone artefacts dating back more than a thousand years.

Experts say they are astonished that the discovery, centring on monastic sculptures, should have been made by accident rather than through planned excavation.

The find includes complete crosses, several feet in height, together with the remains of larger crosses. All are sculpted with Christian depictions, some with geometric motifs.

The discovery was made in the village of Nobber, in Meath, a county rich in historical associations dating back 4,000 years. Archaeologists are excited by the discovery while local politicians envisage it as the basis for a new tourist attraction.

Shane McEntee, MP for the area, said: "If we have our way this is going to turn into one of the biggest draws in Ireland. Anyone we've consulted says it's going to be a massive attraction."

The graveyard, next to the remains of a church and monastery, was neglected and overgrown and took several years of voluntary work to clear. The artefacts were found beneath the dense undergrowth.

Nobber is already known as the birthplace of Turlough O'Carolan, a blind Irish harpist and composer, known as "the last of the Irish bards".

Meath is home to the hill of Tara, an ancient seat of power and coronation place for more than a hundred Irish high kings. Tara itself is about 30 miles from Nobber. Various archaeological activity has been going on around the village but no one suspected that the graveyard held any hidden treasures.

The distinguished archaeologist Professor George Eogan said of the find: "I am originally from Nobber so when local people spotted these features I was involved right away. Initially I was sceptical about the whole thing and then it expanded in a big way. It's quite astonishing to have discovered a dozen pieces of sculpture while tidying up a graveyard. They're in pretty good condition. There is a church dating from around the 14th century but I never suspected in my wildest dreams that such an early Christian monastic area would be found like this.

"The importance of the site is that this array of early sculpture indicates it must have been a significant place, a key place. It's a spectacular discovery, and totally unexpected."

Some of the pieces have been temporarily removed from the graveyard for security reasons. "There is an antiques market, and one has got to be careful," said Professor Eogan.

The question of how to put the discovery on display is now under debate, as those concerned work out how to put the sculptures on show to both students and the general public while keeping them secure.

Another archaeologist, Heather King, summed up the discovery: "This collection puts Nobber on the map as one of the more important early medieval ecclesiastical sites."