Raghnall Ó Floinn, FSA (died 10 December 2024) was an Irish

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

who was the director of the

National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland () is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has three branches in Dublin, the arch ...

. He joined its staff in 1976 and served as its director from 2013 to 2018.

Life and career

Ó Floinn studied at

University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...

, attaining a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

in Celtic Archaeology in 1976, and joined the NMI that year as Assistant Keeper in the Irish Antiquities Division.Tuesday, Feb. 2: Dr. Raghnall O'floinn On The National Museum Of Ireland
. Charitable Irish Society. 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2021 He published a wide variety of books and papers on

bog bodies A bog body is a human cadaver that has been Natural mummy, naturally mummified in a Bog, peat bog. Such bodies, sometimes known as bog people, are both geographically and chronologically widespread, having been dated to between 8000 BC and the S ...

, the archeology of the early Irish church, and

insular art Insular art, also known as Hiberno-Saxon art, was produced in the sub-Roman Britain, post-Roman era of Great Britain and Ireland. The term derives from ''insula'', the Latin language, Latin term for "island"; in this period Britain and Ireland ...

(particularly metalwork). He co-authored an overview of the museum's collection with his predecessor as NMI director, Pat Wallace. He also acted as chairman of the Council of National Cultural Institutions,Raghnall Ó Floinn

National Library of Ireland The National Library of Ireland (NLI; ) is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The mission of the National Library of Ireland is "To collect, preserve, promote and make accessible the ...

. Retrieved 5 February 2024. and a vice-chairman of the

Society for Medieval Archaeology The Society for Medieval Archaeology was founded in 1957. Its purpose was to publish a journal on medieval archaeology and organise conferences and events around the subject. It was the third archaeological society founded with a focus on a particul ...

, London. Ó Floinn died on 10 December 2024.Obituary of Raghnall Ó Floinn
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Selected publications

Books

*"Viking Graves and Grave-Goods in Ireland (Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81, Series B)" (2015). *"Irish Shrines and Reliquaries of the Middle Ages (Irish treasures)" (2014). *"Franciscan Faith: Sacred Art in Ireland, AD 1600-1750" (2011). *"Treasures of the National Museum of Ireland: Irish Antiquities" (2002). Co-author with Patrick Wallace.

Monographs

*"The 'Shannon' shrine: a suggested provenance" (2015) *"An Anglo-Saxon Disc-Brooch From Sjerring, Jutland" (2013) *"Ireland and Scandinavia in the Early Viking Age" (1998) *"A Fragmentary House-Shaped Shrine from Clonard, Co. Meath". ''The Journal of Irish Archaeology'', volume 5. 1989/1990 *"In Ireland and Insular Art A.D. 500–1200". ''Proceedings of a Conference at University College Cork, 31 October–3 November 1985''.

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the natural sciences, arts, literature, and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned society and one of its le ...

References

Bibliography

*Ó Floinn, Raghnall; Wallace, Patrick (eds). ''Treasures of the National Museum of Ireland: Irish Antiquities''. National Museum of Ireland, 2002.

External links

The National Museum of Ireland - cultural tourism for all
- video interview with Ó Floinn {{DEFAULTSORT:O Floinn, Raghnall 20th-century births Year of birth missing 2024 deaths Irish art historians People associated with the National Museum of Ireland Alumni of University College Dublin Place of birth missing Fellows_of_the_Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London