Irish monks were very skilled craftsmen and created beautiful metalwork pieces. These included chalices, brooches, bells, cups and belts. The monks decorated silver with gold, amber, enamel and coloured glass. They also made intricate gold writing, called filigree. Celtic designs can be seen in their work, which shows the overlap between Christian beliefs and pagan traditions.
• The Ardagh Chalice (eighth century) and the Derrynaflan Chalice (early ninth century) are examples of chalices made using these skills.
• The Bell of St Patrick and its Shrine (cover) is another fine example. The bell dates from the eighth to the ninth century, while the shrine is from a later date.
• The Cross of Cong is a later example of detailed metalwork. It dates from the early twelfth century.
All of these are on display in the National Museum in Dublin. The Derrynaflan Chalice
