Athenry News & Views Summer 2026

Athenry News & Views

A Chance Discovery: My Family and the Attymon Hoard

By: Ciarán Cannon

I was recently invited by the Kiltullagh Killimordaly Heritage Society to tell a story that is both deeply personal to me and of real historical significance to our area: the discovery of the Attymon Hoard in April 1891. That discovery was made not by archaeologists, but by my great grandfather, Thomas Cannon, and his brother-in-law, Philip Fahy, while digging a drain through the bogland at Cappanasruhaun—a place whose name, “the field of streams,” still feels fitting today. Cappanasruhaun is a townland near Attymon train station. What my ancestors uncovered that day had lain hidden for more than two thousand years: a collection of beautifully crafted bronze objects from the Iron Age, including ornate bridle bits and distinctive Y-shaped pendants. What strikes me most is the sense of intention behind the original burial. These were not lost items or discarded tools. They appear to have been deliberately placed deep in the bog, perhaps as a votive offering—a gesture tied to belief, ritual, or identity in a world we are still trying to fully understand. And then, for reasons unknown, they were never retrieved. Equally remarkable is how close we came to never knowing their significance at all. In 1891, Attymon was a place of quiet rural life, though not untouched by wider currents of change. The railway line to Loughrea had just opened, bringing new opportunity, while nationally Ireland was in a period of political tension and transformation. Amid all of this, my great grandfather carried on with the rhythms of daily life and, like many in the area, travelled regularly with his horses to the weekly market in Athenry. It was through one of those ordinary journeys that an extraordinary connection was made.

Without that chance encounter in Athenry, it is entirely possible that the objects might have remained little more than curiosities within a farming household, their true age and importance unrecognised. Instead, in September 1891, they became part of the national collection, and today the Attymon Hoard stands as one of the most important pieces of evidence for Iron Age Ireland’s connection to a wider European cultural world. The hoard is now on display in the National Museum, and I still remember my own father, also Thomas Cannon, bringing me there as a young boy to see it for the first time. That wider context is something I explored during my talk in Kiltullagh. The artistic style of the Attymon pieces belongs to what archaeologists call the La Tène tradition—a distinctive form of Celtic art that emerged in central Europe and spread across the continent. Long before modern communication, ideas and craftsmanship travelled vast distances through trade, movement, and cultural exchange. That such beautiful artistry found its way to a quiet corner of my family’s farm is, to me, extraordinary.

Following the discovery in the bog at Cappanasruhaun, Thomas Cannon did what any practical man might do. Recognising the quality of the bronze bridle bits, he had new leather straps made for them and began using them on his horses. To him, they were fine, well-crafted pieces—perhaps a little unusual, but nothing more. That changed one market day in Athenry. Standing in the town square, he encountered Major James Clarke, a local landowner and army officer from Graigabbey. Clarke immediately recognised that these were no ordinary bridle bits. Struck by their craftsmanship and distinctive style, he asked if they could be examined more closely. Arrangements were made for them to be inspected the following week by an archaeologist from what is now the University of Galway. The verdict was remarkable: the pieces were over two thousand years old, dating to the La Tène period of the Iron Age—a time characterised by flowing spirals and intricate metalwork that we still recognise today as classic Celtic design. on display in the National Museum The Attymon Hoard, dating from the ‘Iron Age’, now

Ciarán Cannon President of Cycling Ireland and former Minister of State at the Department of Education and Department of Foreign Affairs.

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