Breac Maedóic reliquary (shrine of St. Mogue)

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The shrine of St Mogue is a small wooden house-shaped shrine kept in the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare St, Dublin. It is kept beside a leather book-satchel, in which it was kept for many centuries. The wooden shrine is covered all over with gilded silver plates, decorated with the figures of men, probably old testament prophets.

On the gable end of the house-shaped shrine is the figure of King David playing the harp.

The silver plates are usually dated by art historians to the eleventh century, sometimes to c.1100 and sometimes to c.1000. The art style is very high quality and slightly unusual which makes it harder to be specific about the date. The wooden shrine underneath is much older, and may even date right back to the canonisation of St Mogue.

St Mogue or Máedóc is also known as Aidan or Áedan (c.550-632). He was the first bishop of Ferns in co. Wexford, Ireland. The shrine is supposed to have contained his relics.

Depictions - more ancient images of Gaelic harp players.