‘Tokens of Faith’ unveiled as focus of upcoming Clare Museum lecture

Irish archaeologist Louise Nugent has been announced as the speaker in the upcoming talk as a part of the Clare Museum's Lecture series.

The talk will be entitled 'Tokens of Faith - Pilgrim souvenirs', it will explore the archaeological evidence for pilgrimage in medieval Ireland.

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It will take place today, Wednesday, December 10 at 7:30pm in the Clare Museum, which is located in Ennis town.

Admission is free, but as there is likely to be a high level of interest in the talk, those planning attending are asked to book a place in advance by emailing claremuseum@clarecoco.ie.

Pilgrimage was a central part of medieval life in Ireland. People actively participated in pilgrimage to shrines of local saints, holy wells and mountain top sites, as well as travelling outside of Ireland to holy places like Canterbury, Santiago de Compostela and Rome.

Like modern tourists and pilgrims, pilgrims of the past often brought home mementos from shrines and sites that they visited.

Louise’s talk will explore the archaeological evidence of pilgrim souvenirs found in Ireland.

Renowned for her work as an archaeologist, researcher and blogger  she specialises in the archaeology and material culture of medieval and modern pilgrimage in Ireland.

She has published widely on this topic and is the author of the book ‘Journeys of Faith: Stories of Pilgrimage from Medieval Ireland’ and the blog ‘Pilgrimage in Medieval Ireland’.

The Lecture Series will continue at Clare Museum on the second Wednesday of each month, until May 2026.

Upcoming topics include; pillboxes of the Shannon Estuary, the Folklore of Ireland Society founded in 1927, music and social life in the country house and the folklore of County Clare’s caves.