A history of Ireland in 100 objects. Flint macehead, 3300-2800 BC. Fintan O’Toole. ... If this is so – and it is hard to understand how the piece could have been made otherwise ...

Good silver had been rare in Ireland, where it was used sparingly and for highly prized objects. The Vikings had access to vast quantities of the metal, mostly in the form of melted-down Arabic coins.