Tara Brooch, front view.

Tara Brooch, rear view.

Drawing of the head of the Tara Brooch

The Tara Brooch is a Celtic brooch of about 700 AD generally considered to be the most impressive of over 50 elaborate Irish brooches to have been discovered. It was found in 1850 and rapidly recognised as one of the most important works of early Christian Irish Insular art; it is now displayed in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.^[1]

History[link]

Created in about 700 AD, the seven-inch long pseudo-penannular brooch is composed primarily of silver-gilt and is embellished with intricate abstract decoration including interlace on both front and back. It was made in many pieces, with much of the decoration on small "trays" or panels which were then fixed into place. When it was found only one panel of decoration was missing, but several more have now disappeared, apparently before 1872, when it entered the collection of the Royal Irish Academy, ^[2] who later transferred their collection of antiquities to the new National Museum.

The design, the techniques of workmanship (including filigree and inlaying) and the gold, silver, copper, amber and glass are all of high quality, and exemplify the advanced state of goldsmithing in Ireland in the seventh century. The brooch has a pseudo-penannular form. Like most brooches of the period, it contains neither Christian nor pagan religious motifs, and was made for a wealthy patron, almost certainly male, who wanted a personal expression of status. It is probably the most spectacular, and one of the best preserved, of several dozen high-status brooches found in Britain or Ireland, but mostly in Ireland. Although similar in style, each has a completely individual design in detail. Precious metals are used, but only semiprecious stones.

Although the brooch is named after the Hill of Tara, traditionally seen as the seat of the High Kings of Ireland, the Tara Brooch in fact has no connection to either the Hill of Tara or the High Kings of Ireland. The brooch was supposedly found in August 1850 on the beach at Bettystown, near Laytown, County Meath, some 50 km (30 mi) north of Dublin. The finder, a peasant woman (or her two sons), claimed to have found it in a box buried in the sand, though many think it was in fact found inland and she claimed it was found at the beach in order to avoid a legal claim by the landowner. It was sold to a dealer and then to the Dublin jeweller George Waterhouse who was already producing Celtic Revival jewellery and who renamed it the "Tara Brooch" to make it more appealing.^[3]

Celtic Revival jewellery had become very fashionable over the previous decade, and the discovery of the brooch could hardly have been better timed from this point of view. The brooch was immediately recognised as the culminating masterpiece (though early in date) of the Irish development of large and superbly worked ornate brooches, a status it has retained ever since. Waterhouse used it as the centre of displays of his replicas and imitations of Celtic brooches in his Dublin shop, also exhibiting it at The Great Exhibition in London in 1851 and the Paris Exposition Universelle (1855), as well as the Dublin exhibition visited by the Queen in 1853 (Victoria had already seen it; it had been specially sent to Windsor Castle for her inspection). Waterhouse had invented the brooch's name, chosing to link it to the site associated with the High Kings of Ireland, "fully aware that this would feed the Irish middle-class fantasy of being descended from them".^[4] By the time the brooch passed to what is now the National Museum of Ireland in the 1870s, "Tara brooch" had become a generic term for Celtic Revival brooches, some of which were now being made by Indian workshops for export to Europe.^[5]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Gere, C. and Rudoe J., Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria: a Mirror to the World, 2010, British Museum Publications, ISBN 0-7141-2819-8
• "NMI":Wallace, Patrick F., O'Floinn, Raghnall eds. Treasures of the National Museum of Ireland: Irish Antiquities, 2002, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, ISBN 0-7171-2829-6

Further reading[link]

• Boltin, Lee, ed.: Treasures of Early Irish Art, 1500 B.C. to 1500 A.D.: From the Collections of the National Museum of Ireland, Royal Irish Academy, Trinity College, Dublin, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1977, ISBN 0-87099-164-7.
• Susan Youngs (ed), "The Work of Angels", Masterpieces of Celtic Metalwork, 6th-9th centuries AD, 1989, British Museum Press, London, ISBN 0-7141-0554-6

External links[link]

• Exhibition image and description

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Dustin the Turkey
Background information
Born	13 November 1989
Origin	Dublin, Ireland
Occupations	Singer, TV presenter
Years active	1989–present
Labels	FOWL Music Entertainment LLC

Dustin the Turkey is an Irish puppet, "television presenter" and star of RTÉ television's The Den since 1989.^[1] A turkey with a strong Dublin accent, Dustin is voiced by John Morrison, brother of Ciaran Morrison who was one of the creators of Zig and Zag.^[2] Dustin first appeared on The Den with Zig and Zag in 1990, but remained with the show after their 1994 departure to Channel 4.^[2] He also outlasted four human co-hosts, all of whom moved to radio, Ian Dempsey, Ray D'Arcy, Damien McCaul and Francis Boylan Jr. Dustin's achievements include a musical career with chart-topping singles. Dustin won the public vote to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Irelande Douze Pointe" but failed to progress past the first semi-final stage.^[3] In 2008 he made an appearance on the ITV show The Xtra Factor.^[4]

Music[link]

He released his Greatest Hits album in 2001. On 4 November 2005, he released his first new single for 4 years, "Patricia the Stripper", a duet with Chris de Burgh aka Christy Burger. On 11 November 2005, he then released a new album, also his first for 4 years, called Bling When You're Minging.

These albums have featured backing vocals from many Irish stars including Bob Geldof, Boyzone and the late Joe Dolan. Many of his songs are parodies of either folk songs or well known chart hits from across the decades. He made the news in Britain in December 1996 when he was number one in Ireland with his songs "Christmas Tree" and "Rat Trap" (a cover version of The Boomtown Rats song which he sang with Bob Geldof, and made fun of him throughout), when in just about every other country the Christmas number one spot went to the Spice Girls with their song "2 Become 1".

Singles[link]

• (1990) "The Christmas No. 1" (Zig and Zag feat. Dustin the Turkey) (IE #1)
• (1993) "Numb"
• (1994) "Spanish Lady" (feat. Ronnie Drew and The Saw Doctors) (IE #1)
• (1996) "Rat Trap" (with Bob Geldof) (IE #1)
• (1996) "Christmas Tree"

	"Christmas Tree" noicon
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• (1997) "Mary" feat Mary Robinson
• (1997) "Good Lookin' Woman" (with Joe Dolan) (IE #1)
• (1997) "Fairytale of New York" (with Dervla Kirwan)
• (1999) "32 Counties" (IE #1)

	"32 Counties" noicon
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• "Christmas in Dublin"
• (2001) "Sweet Caroline" (IE #1)
• (2005) "Patricia the Stripper" (with Chris de Burgh) (IE #3)
• "True Christmas"
• "Fields of Athenry"
• "Harrell is a Lonely Dustin"
• (2008) "Irelande Douze Pointe" (IE #5)

	"Irelande Douze Pointe" noicon
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Albums[link]

• Not Just A Pretty Face
• Unplucked
• Faith Of Our Feathers
• Poultry In Motion
• Dustin's Greatest Hits
• Bling When You're Minging

Eurosong and Eurovision 2008[link]

Dustin the Turkey in the first semi-final of Eurovision Song Contest 2008

Originally the favourite to win, Dustin was chosen by the Irish viewers at Eurosong to represent Ireland in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, becoming the first puppet to do so.^[5] Though it was not announced on the Eurosong show how many votes Dustin won, an RTÉ radio show later revealed that the second place had an average of 15 points, while Dustin had 23, so the public really did want to send a puppet to Eurovision. Despite it being a public vote, there was a mixed reaction from the live studio audience when the result was announced, including many audible boos. A panellist on the programme, former Eurovision winner Dana, stated that Ireland would be better withdrawing from the competition than sending Dustin. Despite her lack of support, past Irish Eurovision entries Dickie Rock and Maxi stated their beliefs that Dustin could win.

Dustin performed his song in the first semi-final on 20 May and "brought down the house". The song contained, amongst other things, references to Riverdance ("Give us another chance, we're sorry for Riverdance!") and Michael Flatley ( "Sure Flatley he's a yank" ).^[6] Dustin failed to progress beyond the Eurovision semi-final.^[7]

Political career[link]

Dustin has often declared his interest in politics. He has campaigned in two presidential elections. He competed as Dustin Hoffman in the 1997 presidential election as both forename and surname were necessary to register. Returning Officers received votes spoiled with his name in more recent elections. He received some support but many of those ballots were also spoiled. In his mock campaigns, he ran as a representative of "Fianna Fowl" (a play on Ireland's former largest political party Fianna Fáil)^[8] and also of the 'Poultry Party'. His campaign manifestos have included promising "to bring the DART to Dingle", as well as making sure every young boy in Ireland got to go on a date with the Spice Girl of their choice (later Pussycat Doll) and Industrializing all of Ireland's rural areas, while Ruralizing everywhere else.

He is a UNICEF ambassador.^[9]

Personal life[link]

Dustin is a fan of the Dublin GAA team and Manchester United. Dustin's favourite band is Republic of Loose.^[10]

Dustin has been an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland since late 2009 and visited the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, where he found out at firsthand the impact of HIV/AIDS on communities and children and ways that UNICEF is working to help very young children cope.^[11]

Movies and documentaries[link]

Dustin made a film titled 'Dustin in Fowl Play' in 2002. In this film, he and his friend, Snotser, put together a boyband called Mankind.

Dustin was also the subject of the documentary Dustin: 20 Years a Pluckin'.

References[link]

External links[link]

• RTÉ Entertainment: Dustin is among Eurosong finalists
• Eurovision.tv: Dustin the Turkey in Irish national final?