Beachcomber who discovered 5,000-year-old arrowhead on West Cork beach features on TV

A 10-YEAR-OLD beachcomber who found a 5,000-year-old arrowhead on a West Cork beach will feature on TV’s Ireland’s Hidden Treasures on Sunday evening.

Darragh Kane from Passage West was enjoying a day on Dunworley Beach two years ago when he noticed  something small and unusual sticking out of the sand. He took it out of the sand and washed it in the sea water.

‘At first I thought it might be a small bone or something mainly because of the colour which was lighter than most of the stones I usually find on the beach,’ said Darragh.

The object had sharp edges and Darragh showed it to his mum, and they realised it was something very unusual.  Eventually they got  in touch with the National Museum of Ireland who confirm Darragh’s discovery to be an ancient arrowhead, estimated to be around 5,000 years old.

Darragh gave the arrowhead into the care of the National Museum and assistant keeper Matthew Seaver.

Darragh’s story will be detailed in this week’s Ireland's Hidden Treasures  on Sunday April 28th at 6.30pm. The show demystifies the world of museums.

Two years after he gave the arrowhead to the museum, Darragh and his mum Grace get an invitation to go behind the scenes at the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology in Kildare Street, right next door to Leinster House in Dublin’s city centre.

He was invited by Matthew Seaver to experience a behind the scenes tour of the National Museum, to see how his arrowhead is catalogued and stored.

This week’s show also visits the Cork Public Museum, Ireland’s oldest regional museum located in the beautiful grounds of Fitzgerald Park in Cork city, and speaks to head curator Dan Breen.